


Silver Lake Series (4) - Stephen

by Fleppy85



Series: Silver Lake Series [4]
Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:07:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 121,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24982834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fleppy85/pseuds/Fleppy85
Summary: Sara & Sofia start the IV to have their baby. Meanwhile a teenage boy starts to work with Sara in the national forest. When Grissom appears in L.A. Sofia fears Sara might fall in love with her ex again.
Relationships: Sofia Curtis/Sara Sidle
Series: Silver Lake Series [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1807690





	1. Chapter 1

20th of June Tuesday

Dogs had to be on the leash when taken into the National Forest, but before somebody could stop the two brown dogs, they stormed away from their owner, reached a tall brunette woman, jumped at her and pushed her on the ground. Surprised by the attack, she tried to fight off the two animals before she realized, whose dogs they were and that they had no bad intention.   
"Scooby, Rantanplan, stop that. I'm not your favorite toy, stop licking my face and jumping on me. You're bad boys!" She pushed the dogs away and got up, having them jumping at her again, happy wiggling and barking, like they found a long lost friend and had to tell her all the things they experienced since their last meeting.  
"Scooby! Rantanplan! Stop that! Sit! Will you listen?" A blonde woman followed the dogs, trying to get their attention. Without success.   
"They've got no manners, just like their mommy."   
"Sorry, I tried to get them on their leash, but as soon as I opened the door, they were gone. Nothing can stop them when they have the chance to see and greet you. Will I get a reprimand?"  
"At least." The brunette pulled the blonde in her arms and kissed her passionately. After a long day at work it was a nice surprise to find Sofia and the dogs in the forest, just in time for Sara's quitting time. The whole day she had been at work, missing her lover and hoping the blonde could finish on time, so they had a few hours together after work. Now it looked like Sofia called it a day before she did and came over to see her.   
"Wow, that's a nice reprimand. Can I have a few more?"  
"Maybe later." Sara took the leashes and secured both dogs, who stood next to them, happy their family was at the same place. "Are you here to see me and take me home or will we have a little walk with our two underbred dogs?"  
"If you are fine with spending a little bit more time at your workplace, we can have a walk here. The dogs haven't been here in a while and it's more interesting for them to see new places than being at the reservoir every day."  
"Well, then lets have a little walk. It is warm today, here we have some shade and it's quiet." Sara took Sofia's hand and started walking. She spent most of her day in an office, working on an education program for children during the summer holidays and looked forward to a little exercise. As much as she enjoyed jogging around the reservoir, the forest was much better.   
"How was your day? Did you close your case?"  
"No, not yet, there are few pieces missing. I'm almost one hundred percent sure who the killer is, but we need some more evidence. Some cases need more than others."  
"You talked to him? Her?"  
"I had him in interrogation, the problem is, he's a VIP…Trevor Trent. And when you work a case with a powerful person, who has powerful friends, you need to be more than hundred percent sure, otherwise you won't get a warrant, leave alone a conviction. You know the problem, had it yourself a couple of times. And Mister Trent does have VIP friends."  
"His name doesn't ring a bell." Sara tried to remember a person with this name, tried to get a picture to the name.   
"Because you never read the interesting newspaper Tony and Sally leave in the living room. So many famous people from L.A., our neighbors more or less, are in them, and you don't pay attention."  
"You mean gossip magazines?"  
"They deliver news about stars, they're news magazines. Anyway, he's a TV actor, a pretty famous one, his show is in the top three in the country. I think he won a prize last year, can't recall which one."  
"And he killed his lover." That was more important to Sara than a prize. This man was a killer, or was the main suspect in a murder case.   
"Maybe. We can't prove it one hundred percent. Yet."  
"But you're sure."  
"Yes…my guts tell me, he did it. And my boss told me, my guts aren't the evidence he wants to get this guy back in interrogation or getting a warrant. Only because he's rich and knows a lot of important people, we can't treat him like a homeless guy. It's not fair."  
"It has always been like this. It's easy to get a warrant for anybody's house, if you want a warrant to search somebody special's house, you need a conviction of a jury to get a judge on your side. Most times these people know judges too."  
"Yes, very frustrating." The blonde sighed.   
"You'll get the evidence, you're a great CSI and you were a fantastic cop. This VIP has no chance. When he's guilty, you'll prove it."  
"Thanks." Sofia kissed her lover shortly. It was good to hear Sara had confidence in her. When your own boss told you, you didn't have enough evidence on your hands and didn't want to fight for you, it was good to know, your lover trusted in your. Not only because she loved you, but because she knew how you worked, how good you were. And Sara wasn't a person, who made compliments, she didn't believe in. Not even to her lover.   
"I do my best."  
"You are the best."  
"What a shame we're in the forest and not as alone as I wish we were. I feel like jumping you."  
Sara laughed. "That has to wait until we're home, otherwise I might lose my job and we need the money."  
"Tell me about it." Four days ago her accountant told Sofia how much money she had spent on extending her house and how much money she owned the bank now. Don paid a big part of it, so her accountant was happy for the moment. The problem was, with all the money Don paid in advance, he didn't have to pay rent for the next two years. Sooner or later she had to cut back on some things to pay the mortgage.   
"We'll work something out."  
"Actually, I've to work something out, it's my mortgage, I bought the house. You pay rent, which is more than I want."  
"Honey, I live there."  
"Yes, you live at my place, I love you and it feels strange to get money from you…when you're married, you don't pay your partner for living in the same house."  
"No, but you share the money anyway. If you want, I stop paying rent and buy all the groceries, petrol and whatever else we need to buy. One way or another, I pay money. And have you ever noticed, you only refer to the house to 'your house' when it comes to pay money for it, otherwise it's 'our house'."  
"It's our home, you know that."  
"So I pay for it too. You bought it, I live there, I pay the rent. In case we ever break up, there won't be an argument about the house, it will always be yours and I pay rent like I'd do at any other place too."  
"We won't break up." The blonde grumbled. "Don't say silly things like this."  
"I said, in case. You know there's no guarantee we'll live happy ever after, but I hope we will."  
"Yes we will. There's no way I let you go, you belong to me." Sofia pulled her lover in her arms and kissed hard. "You're mine and I'm yours. If anybody tries to change that, I'll shoot them without a warning."  
"My cop is back, I love my cop as much as I love my CSI. Don't worry, I'm all yours. You're the one I want and the only one who has a key to my heart."  
"Good. How do you feel about having dinner with your best friend and your godchild?"  
"Sounds like a good idea."  
"Greg invited us over for dinner at seven-thirty."  
"Means, we should leave soon or we walk another twenty minutes or so and go straight to his place."  
"We walk ten minutes, go home, feed the dogs and walk down to their place."  
"After that we go home and have sweet sex?"  
"Gosh, I love this woman, she's the best thing that ever happened to me." Sofia grinned, got her arm around Sara's waist and kissed her cheek. Her girlfriend was the icing on a cake and she was all hers. 

"Eric, look who's here, your godmother." Greg hugged Sara when he opened the door to let the brunette and Sofia in. "We haven't seen her in a while, have we? I thought she had forgotten us."  
"Never. Where's my boy?"  
"In the living room, busy rolling over and watching his sister how she starts crawling."  
"Jorja is crawling?"  
"A little bit, started today."  
"Wow, I want to see that." Sofia pushed her lover aside to get into the living room.  
"And I've to talk to my boy, he can't let his sister go ahead of him. He needs a coach."  
"He'll follow her soon, girls are faster with everything."  
"Yeah, they start to date when the boys are still playing with cars."  
"My daughter won't date until she leaves university!"  
"Sure." Sara chuckled and followed her lover into the living room. Jorja was on a thick blanket, rolling around and laughing while Eric lay on his back and watched his sister. Sofia was next to them, talking with them, her hand on each baby. A moment the brunette wanted to keep as a memory, she pulled out her cell phone and took a photo of the three.   
"That's a nice pic."  
"Want to sit next to them and I take a photo of the four of you?" Jules offered.   
"No, first I need a hug from my favorite therapist."  
"Friend."  
"Therapist friend." Sara pulled Jules in her arms and kissed her cheeks. "I missed you, why don't you, Greg and the babies move back in the room next door? It was fun to have you around and the house is quiet without your little family. Living in an own house is overrated, family matters and we're all family. Come back, I'm sure the twins would enjoy that too."  
"Your room is too small for us."  
"We build a new big room over Don's new rooms. You can have the gym area . Will you come back?"  
"No." Jules laughed. I want to live with my fiancé in our house, when you want to see us, you have to walk two hundred yards and visit us. It's not like we're far away."  
"Not the same house is too far away. I miss you."  
"Visit me more often."  
"I think I need a session."  
"Talk to Amanda."  
"No, a friend session with coffee and muffins."  
"Sounds more like a date."  
"Can't say that, your fiancé and my girlfriend are in the room."  
"And they heard every word you said." Jules kissed Sara's hair. "Come on, say hello to your godson, he missed you. Did you forget him or why weren't you here for a few days?"  
"As much as I hated it, I wanted to give you and your family more time together, without a visitor all the time. You lived six weeks in our little room, I bet you're still happy when you have time for yourselves."   
"You're always welcome. So is Sofia."  
"Oh, I do exist for the two of you, good to know.""  
"She's cute when she's jealous." Sara sat next to her lover, kissed her and pulled Eric in her arms. "Hey big boy, how are you? Did you have a good day at day care?"  
"They were with my parents today, grandparents day at the mall, spoiled with new toys and clothes. I'm not sure which part of 'stop buying things for them all the time' my parents don't understand."  
"All of it?"  
"Probably."  
"Next week when my parents come over for a week, they'll get spoiled again." Greg grinned. "As long as they're young it's not that bad, in a few years they'll scream for their grandparents all the time when we don't get them, what they want."  
"We need to talk to our parents about it again."  
"You do the talk, it's your job to talk."   
"We talk to them. We. Our children, our responsibility."  
"Poor Greg, I feel with you. Telling doctor Bendler what to do is…hard." Sofia said.   
"Aren't you supposed to call her Alison? She won't like it when you disobey, Sofia." Jules grinned. "You know her."  
"I do, saw her last week when she checked on my leg. Almost a year after the accident, my leg is fine and she still wants to check on me."  
"You're her special patient and you'll be her special patient for the rest of your life. Get used to it."  
"Will she check on me when I'm pregnant too?"  
"As good as she can if you don't stop her."  
"You couldn't stop her from checking on you."  
"No, not really."  
"Having a doctor looking after you makes me feel safer. She isn't a gynecologist, but she's a doctor and knows more about my body and it functions than I do."  
"You're having your doctor appointment tomorrow, don't you?" Greg looked at Sara, who had Eric on her belly, arms at his sides so he couldn't fall down. Every now and then she lifted him up and let him 'fly'.   
"Don't mention it." She got cramps when she thought about it. The doctor would get her eggs, use Don's sperm to fertilize them and freeze then until it was time to inject them Sofia. It could all be over within a few days or take a couple of weeks or months. Sofia's gynecologist worked out a plan when it was the time to inject the fertilized eggs and then all they could do was wait and hope for the best.   
"Nothing can happen to you."  
"I know but…I don't like the idea of having somebody taken parts of my body out and freeze them. The only things that makes me go there beside my girlfriends, is the thought of having a little Eric in our house next year. A little sunshine like you and you can play big brother later." She kissed the tip of the nose of the boy, who started giggling. "Yes, you will be a great big brother for our baby. Can show him all the cool things you discovered."  
"Did Don donate already?"  
"No, he'll do it tomorrow. Must feel strange for him too."  
"And when is it time for your part, Sofia?"  
"According to my doctor in ten days. Next summer I could have my sexy curves back. Not that I won't look sexy when I'm pregnant."  
"She worries about her sexy swagger." Sara grinned.   
"What's left of it. Mood swings, putting on twenty pounds, staying at home, not able to dance and drink…I wonder if my girlfriend will leave me for somebody thinner and more fun to be with. Or stays away for long shifts instead of coming home to her grumpy and moody lover, who does nothing else than eat chocolate and complains about her belly."  
"Unlikely." Jules answered for Sara. "She was with me all the time when I was pregnant and never minded the fact I can't dance and drink anymore…she did call me fat…"  
"I never called you fat! Once I wondered if there are only two babies inside you because it could have been a football team as well."  
"See, you called me fat. And I was fat, that was the reason why I couldn't walk anymore. You won't have twins, you won't be fat and you can walk, Sofia. With your sexy swagger."  
"They'll inject two eggs, there's a possibility to have twins…and then we need to get a new room and my accountant will kill me."  
"Or you have to use one of the rooms downstairs." Greg said.  
"My parents had a similar idea: I kick out Tony and Sally, move back downstairs with Sara and they move in our rooms upstairs. The whole family in one house."  
"You didn't like the idea?"  
"No! Sally and Tony are part of the family, they stay as long as they want and I need the money from the rent. Plus I want my parents in Los Angeles, even in Silver Lake, but not in our house. When we have to give up the two rooms because Don wants another room with his girlfriend, our kid gets older and wants his or her own bathroom, we can think about not having the rooms rent out anymore. Until then, we'll have housemates."  
"Don has a girlfriend?" Jules looked surprised. "I didn't know about that. Since when?"  
"Huh? Who said that?"  
"You said, when Don and his girlfriend want another room."  
"Oh, no, I meant when he has one, who wants to live with him in the house, and they want another room. There's no woman in his life…beside Sally, Sara and me. Oh and your cousin. I'm not quite sure what their relationship is, but they spend a lot of time together, our two videogames junkies."  
"They meet two or three times a week. My mom gets crazy, whenever her sister calls, she can't tell her about Tanya dating successful doctors, only be quiet about the video games sessions with Don. Like teenager. Not what she wants for her niece, nor what my aunt wants for her daughter. The old doctor problem. When they come over and meet Tanya, they won't be pleased."  
"I've to meet your cousin too. Time for a check." Sofia made a grimace.   
"Did she hurt you the last time?"  
"No, she's really good and I had the feeling she talked to me like I talked to a scared witness of a crime scene."  
"Anxiety patient are her area, she took some psychology courses to understand the fear better and learn, how to help people, to overcome their anxiety or make it at least bearable to be at the dentist. Eric and Jorja will be her patients too."  
"They've two teeth, you can barely see." Sara furrowed her brows. Wasn't it a little bit early to think about a dentist when the babies didn't have many teeth?   
"And it's important to brush them, Tanya got us special tooth brushes for babies and showed us how to clean their teeth. In a year or so they're supposed to learn to brush their teeth themselves."  
"Tanya will make sure your baby gets its toothbrush as well when the first tooth appeared." Greg smiled and pulled Jules in his arms. "There are some advances with a big doctor family. Alison will make sure all the little wounds and scratches from learning to walk and ride a bike, will be looked after and when they get too wild in sport, she'll take care of whatever they have. Bruises, black eyes, sprained ankles. According to my fiancé, who was allowed to do sports as a child and teenager, I've to live with the thought if all these things happen to our babies more than once. Maybe I don't want them to play football. Beach volleyball is such a nice sport."  
"And kills your knees." Sofia added.   
"Basketball?"  
"Catch the ball the wrong way and your finger is broken."  
"Soccer. Tennis"  
"Step on the ball or slip and your ankle is sprained."  
"Surfing."  
"Sharks."  
"Chess. Nothing can happen when they play chess. I played chess."  
"That's not a real sport. Why don't you let them make their own decision? You can't protect them from injuries their whole life. And a sprained ankle or a black eye won't kill them. It's part of your life. And when they want to be cops…"  
"No way! Our babies won't be cops!"   
"When they want to be cops and go to the police academy, they need to be fit."  
"No cops! This is a doctor family."  
"The way I know your fiancé, she won't push her babies to become a doctor."  
"No, they can become whatever they want - if they win against their grandparents."  
"Probably your mother has already secured their work places for after university." Sara put her head on Sofia's lap, put Eric on the floor and watched him turn from the back onto his belly.   
"Look! Jorja is crawling." Sofia pointed to the little girl, who had pushed herself up and crawled half a yard before she dropped back onto her belly, a little bit surprised, that she wasn't crawling anymore.  
"Good girl, don't give up, you can do it. By the end of the month you'll crawl through the room." Greg supported his daughter.   
"And you will be right behind her, won't you?" Jules took Eric in her arms and kissed her son. "Your sister might be ahead of you now, that doesn't mean you can't get ahead of her. And when you want to take your time before you crawl and walk, it's okay with your mommy. I don't want to rush after the two of you, both taking off in different directions."  
"I wonder if the captain will run after our baby or if she'll turn it into a rookie and gives orders." Sara chuckled.   
"I bet our baby will smile at her and she'll melt like butter in the sun. No firm captain, no orders, only granny, who will spoil the baby with whatever it wants. Just the opposite to what she did with her own daughter."   
"Well, grandma is always the best and allows more than mom. Get used to it. We buy a shirt that says 'if mommy says no I go to grandma'. I like them, they're funny." Sara pulled the head of her lover down and kissed her. Her mother-in-law would be great with the baby, she had seen Marie with the twins. With a baby in her arm, the captain had no chance to look scary. 

Back home Sara knocked on Don's door and when he didn't answer, she opened the door and stepped inside his little apartment. Since he had more space, he didn't hear them knocking all the time; especially when he played a video game. His former bedroom door was the front door now. A wall was built in the old bedroom, so there was a hallway and the rest of the room became a smaller bedroom. Where once the exterior wall ended the room, was now a passage way to the new, big room. On both garages was a living room and kitchen. This was the place she found Don most times.   
Also today, he sat on the couch and watched a ballgame, a beer and potato chips next to him.   
"Hey detective, how are you?"  
"Good, how about yourself"  
"I spent some time with my godchild, we watched his sister crawl, decided, he doesn't have to worry about not being able to crawl yet and after I took him to bed, his mother cooked a really nice dinner for me…and I asked her to move back with her family in our house because I miss them so much."  
Don laughed. "I bet she wasn't happy about your idea, the room upstairs is too small for the whole family and when the twins start crawling, they need more space."  
"We can build two more rooms above your living room."  
"Let them live in their own house, we need the space for our own baby."  
"Yeah." Sara pulled her knees up. "I feel strange, thinking of tomorrow."  
"Knowing a doctor will take a few eggs out and works with them. A part of you is under the microscope. Like evidence."  
"I'm scared it will be painful, worry about what happens when they lose them, or mislabel them and we won't get them back. What about you? How comfortable are you when you think of tomorrow?"  
"Not at all. Honestly I feel pretty stupid thinking about that a nurse will give me a plastic cup and some porn, send me into a room and waits for me to fill her the cup…it's like I'm a mix between a pervert and a breeding bull."  
"Did you change your mind?" There was fear in Sara's voice and also understanding. He was right, he was treated like a breeding bull, all Sara and Sofia wanted from him was his sperm and he was supposed to deliver it tomorrow. Looking at the facts, there was no love involved, no romance. Only calculation.   
"No, don't worry."  
"I could understand it. You do this because Sofia and me want a baby and think, you're the best possible dad. You'll be involved, you will be the father of the baby and it will know about you, but it's her and my baby, I can understand when you feel used."  
"Fact is." He pulled his arm around Sara. "I want a baby too and I can't wait for forever. My Mrs. Right might not exist and I don't want to be an old daddy, who thinks more of his own retirement than his boy's ballgames. I want a baby while I'm young enough to play with him or her, can take her out to the ocean, share my basketball collection cards with him. A surrogate mother is too expensive and I can't take care of a baby alone. Plus I want a special mother for my baby and how can a baby be more special than having your DNA and developing in Sofia's body? It gets the best of the three of us."  
"And yet, here we are, having doubts and don't feel comfortable."  
"Because the way this baby is made, isn't the usual way."  
"Told you right from the beginning, you're not supposed to sleep with Sofia."  
"To get your DNA I've to sleep with you." He smiled.   
"Not an option neither."  
"That leaves us with the doctor and the nurse. The needle and the cup…I assume you won't help me out so I don't need the porn magazine?"  
"No." She laughed and hugged him. "I'm sure the nurse will. A good looking men like you are, there should be a few women, who want to help you out in your little cabin."  
"I'm not interested."  
"Are you interested in somebody special?"  
"Like whom?"  
"I don't know, just asking. You had a couple of dates."  
"One time only dates. It never felt right."  
"I liked the officer you met last month."  
"Freshly divorced and burnt."  
"Ouch."  
"She's cool, we met a few more times for coffee and talked about work, not more. She isn't ready for something new and when I look at my dates and the experience the last months, neither am I. The only woman I meet on a regular basis - beside you, Sofia and Sally - is Tanya and we meet to play videogames and don't have dates. We only have appointments when she is the doctor and I get tortured."  
"For a dentist she's great. Usually they're witches and compared to my last dentist, Tanya is an angel."  
"With tiny little horns. You can see them when you look closely."  
"Don't we all have tiny, little horns? Or are you a saint?"  
"Always."   
"Sure thing, detective." She got up. "Do you have the day off or will you go to work after our appointment?"  
"I've to work. What about you?"  
"Day off. I might buy some coffee and muffins and see my former therapist."  
"The mother of the twins or the other one?"  
"The mother of the twins, the other one won't have coffee and muffins with me. She sticks to the rules, no contact after therapy. She's the…whatever you call the cousin of your mother, of my godchild, I haven't seen her out of work since Eric was born."  
"She was your therapist. And unlike Jules, she doesn't date your best friend."  
"Jules is engaged to my best friend…gosh, when I remember the first time they met, I felt like slapping Greg. Are you single? In this moment I wished the earth had opened up and I could have vanished to somewhere far, far away. He knew she was my therapist and nevertheless, he flirted with her."  
"Love at first sight."  
"Crazy man with crazy hair and even crazier head."  
"Your best friend."  
"Are you telling me only crazy people want to be my friends?"  
"Never said that."  
"Careful detective, you get yourself in trouble."  
"I hope our baby has your temper. And the cute little gap."  
"You spend too much time with Sofia! I leave you for her now."  
"Give the sexy blonde a kiss from me."  
"From her little brother."  
"From the sexy, dark haired detective."  
"Not very popular." Sara hugged him. "See you tomorrow, sleep tight."  
"You too. Enjoy the nights in peace, when our baby is in the house, we'll be very busy at nights with diapers and bottles. You know how it works, the twins were good training."  
"Eric was adorable, no matter if he was asleep or awake. He still is. And so will our child." A few more months and they could be parents. As scary it the thought was sometimes, it made Sara very, very happy. 

21st of June Wednesday

Sara felt like hell and she knew, she looked like it. The last night hadn't been a peaceful night with a lot of sleep and sweet dreams. Every hour she woke up, tossed and turned until she fell back into something like sleep, only to dream of huge needles, injecting her with sperm and pulling babies out of her a second later. Fully developed babies, who screamed and cried, in pain, in fear and she felt the same, wasn't able to help them or herself. Somebody chained her to the chair and all she could do was lay there, watch what faceless people did to her and the babies.   
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sofia asked worried. A few times she woke her lover up during the night, whenever the dreams became more a nightmare than a dream and made her scream and cry.   
"Yes."  
"Last night…"  
"I'm only scared because I've no idea what happens with me. I mean, the doctor explained everything to us, but…it's the first time I do this and it scares me. It won't be any different in a week or month. Lets get over with it and we can continue with the next step."  
"You suffer."  
"So do you. We knew it would be hard and we decided to do it anyway." Sara pulled her lover into her arms and kissed her. They survived the night, ignored breakfast, went downstairs a minute ago and the dogs needed a walk as well.   
"We should get moving, the appointment is at nine."  
"Do you want to come with me and the dogs for a walk?"  
"It won't take my mind off today, but it will help. Gosh, an appointment with the dentist is nicer than this."  
"You only say so because the dentist is a friend. Your old dentist was a nightmare and you had never preferred him over anything."  
"Tanya is nice…we haven't met her for a while."  
"She's here every Friday to Sunday, all we have to do is join her and Don with the videogames."  
"Or we invite her to our basketball games. We should play this week, when you're pregnant, you can't play anymore."  
"My career is over anyway. With my leg I've no chances."  
"For me you're still the best." Sara kissed her lover softly.   
"Thanks. I love you too."  
"Get a room!" Sally protested when she came out of the kitchen and ran into the two women kissing.   
"We have a room, a whole floor. Any problem with kissing women in the hallway?"  
"Many problems with kissing and happy people in the hallway. Everybody in this house is happily in love besides me. I'm the unhappy and unloved leftover part of the group, the black sheep; and I'm sure even the black sheep a secret admire."  
Sara laughed. Theater students. "Shall we look for a man for you?"  
"No! Just stop acting like you're Romea and Juliet. And can please somebody stop this endless annoying theme of 'love is in the air' I hear all the time?"   
Sofia raised her eyebrows and looked at Sara. Endless annoying theme of 'love is in the air'? She didn't hear this song and was pretty sure, it played only in Sally's head. Her housemate needed a relationship ASAP, otherwise she might turn crazy.   
"Somebody is in desperate need for sex. With somebody else than herself."   
"Yeah, better sooner than later. What's her problem? Besides not having sex?"  
"Living with people in a house, who have sex?"  
"Don doesn't have sex. As far as we know."  
"We all expect him to sleep with Tanya, even when there's no evidence and he says all the time, it's not true." Sally grumbled.   
"I believe him."  
"Two attractive people, both single, spend a lot of time together, they're alone, have beer and a bed. To me it means sex."  
"To me it means a lot of fun, not necessarily with sex."  
"Wanna bet?"  
"No, I don't bet on the private life of my friends. Come on, lets take the dogs out before we get in trouble for holding hands."  
"In our own home…moody housemate…frustrated…"  
"When you're pregnant and we don't have sex anymore, you'll be frustrated too." Sara smirked.   
"We will have sex when I'm pregnant otherwise I won't get pregnant. No pregnancy until you promised me - written down so everybody can read it - we'll have sex when I'm fat and moody."  
"I love you." Sara got her arm around the blonde, whistled once and the dogs were next to them. Time to have a walk around the reservoir before they left and went to the doctor. And life became serious. 

"Hello Sara, how do you feel?" Doctor Blumfield smiled.   
"Like I'm about to die. Do we have to do all this, doc?"  
"Yes, if you want a baby, we have to do all this. And you did so many things already. You took hormones, we tested your blood a few times, you got the hormone for your ovulation and now should be the perfect time to get our eggs. If you don't want to do it today, you've to do all these things again next month."  
"I feel like an experiment."  
"You're not, you're a woman, who wants a baby with her partner. How does mommy number two feel?"   
"Excited, scared." Sofia held Sara's hand. "I can stay with her the whole time, can't I?"  
"Of course and Sara won't feel a thing."  
"I read what you'll do, you told me about it and I get cramps when I think about it."  
"Sara, you'll be dreaming of Sofia and your baby while I get your eggs. When this morning is over, you should be done with everything and we turn our attention towards your partner."  
Sofia swallowed. This sounded more like a threat to her than something to look forward to. "Before I can do anything we need Don to be active."  
"Your friend will be done by the time we're done here and when I remember correctly, your appointment is next week. Usually we don't keep the eggs this long, but usually the one, who donates the eggs is the one, who wants them."  
"Call us unusual."  
"I call you a soon-to-be-family. Okay Sara, please undress, I get the narcotic. Sofia, you need to pull over the overall."  
"Needles…she'll get needles…knitting needles…"  
"Shhh." Sofia pulled her lover in her arms and kissed her. "No knitting needles, there won't be any knitting needles, I promise. And I'm here, when she hurts you or tries anything bad, I'll stop her. Remember, I was a lieutenant, I can take care of my favorite former CSI. Serve and protect haven't stopped, it's still what I do when it comes to you and I'll always do it."  
"There'll be scary looking tools…she'll get them inside me!"  
"Honey, if you say now, you don't want to do it, you don't want her to take our eggs, say it. It's okay, nobody will be mad."  
"The doctor will be mad, she did so many things already and you'll be disappointed. I can't stop anymore. It's all done even when it's not over."  
"Sara, I love you and if this makes you feel too uncomfortable, I don't want you to do it. Do you understand me? You're the most important person in my life, I love you and the last thing I want is, you feeling bad or uncomfortable. When you can't do it, we'll find another way. Okay? I love you." Sofia kissed Sara softly. "Everything is all right, no matter what you decide."  
"We want a baby."  
"I want you happy."  
"We talked about it for a long time, planed it, everything is prepared; including me."  
"I want you happy and comfortable."  
"It's our wish and dream."  
"You're the most important thing in my life."  
"What is wrong, Sara?" Doctor Blumfield came back in the room. "Are you afraid?"  
"Yes. The idea of you…all the tools…I feel like throwing up."  
"Do you want to see them first?"  
"No! God, no. Can't I just sit down, you make me sleep ASAP and do the rest?"  
"It's much easier when you sit in the chair without your pants and underwear. Otherwise we need to undress you and that's complicated."  
"Sofia? Can you do it?"  
"We do it together. Come here." Carefully the blonde guided the other woman to the chair. "I open your pants and you step out of them."   
With trembling fingers Sara pulled down her pants and stepped out them.   
"Number one and now the last one. Come here." Sofia let her hands softly run over Sara's sides and pulled her underpants down. "See, we made it. Now you sit down, I hold your hand and you look into my eyes. You like my eyes, don't you?"  
"I love them, lovely deep blue, like the ocean on a sunny summer day. They remind me of the water at Point Dune."  
"Do you believe this eyes take care of you?"  
"Yes."  
"Good. Next summer we'll be at the beach with Eric, Jorja and our baby. A huge family picnic. The three will be like siblings, a big sister and a big brother, our baby is a lucky baby. We'll teach them how to swim and you can be their surf teacher later."  
"I…I'm getting tired."  
"The narcotic, didn't you feel the needle?"  
"A little bit."  
"Close your eyes and think of us with the babies on the beach. Tell me about our day out there. Who else is there?"  
"Scooby and Rantanplan are in the ocean, they're chasing each other. We have a…have a picnic and a sun…sunshade and…you look…beautiful in your…" Sara's eyes closed and she fell asleep.   
"See, it's all not that bad, Honey." Sofia kissed her girlfriend softly and pulled over the overall. "Can I keep holding her hand or am I in your way?"  
"No, you can stay here, talk to her, hold her hand, stroke it. She might not understand the words you say, but she'll feel and know you're here and hold her hand. Makes her more comfortable, more relaxed."  
"When I lost my lower left leg last year, I was in coma for a few days and I felt Sara around me. I didn't hear her words, but I knew she was there and held my hand. It helped me fight for my life, made me wake up again. I thought, there's my girlfriend, she loves me and I want to spend more time with her. Our time together has only begun, there are so many things we want to go together."  
"Only because people don't respond with words or visible movements, it doesn't mean they don't hear or feel you."  
"No. She looks so peaceful. Does she really not feel anything? Any pain?"  
"Don't worry, she's fine."  
"And when I'm on your chair you'll inject two of her eggs?"  
"Yes. There's a chance of thirty to forty percent you'll get pregnant the first time we try it. Prepare yourself for another visit."  
"I will. As long as Sara doesn't have to come back and suffer again."  
"I get fourteen eggs out, that gives us seven chances. By then you should be pregnant - more than once. Do you want one child or more?"  
"One. I mean, when I get pregnant, we won't come back to you. If we're blessed with twins, it's fine too. Kind of funny, our friends just had twins and Sara…she was scared if she can be a good mother, can handle a baby and since her godchild is born, she's in love with him and her fear is gone. The little boy did real magic."  
"She'll love your baby even more. Do you want a boy or a girl?"  
"Doesn't matter, as long as it's healthy and happy. Do you have children?"  
"Three. All girls and my husbands wants a boy, but is scared, when we try it again, we'll have another girl. He wants somebody to play football with. I try to tell him, the girls might want to play football too, he doesn't accept this. Football is a sport for men."  
"Old fashioned. So will you give it another try?"  
"No, three are enough. If he wants a boy, we can adopt one."  
"Adoption was something we thought about too. Sara…Sara liked the idea lot. We haven't dismissed the idea. Two kids is better than one. Being an only child must be boring."  
"There are no reasons not do adopt. Of course is your own child something special, but when you adopt a child, it will be your child too."  
"Yes. Maybe we'll give the adoption another thought in a year or two. First we've to see how our new family works out."  
"Patchwork family. The father of your child, how much will he be involved?"  
"Don lives in the same house, I turned my house into a shared house years ago to get the money to pay the mortgage. He was my first housemate and now he's more my brother than a housemate. And he's the best man we could imagine as the father of our child. He'll be involved without having custody. But we'll tell our child right from the beginning, he's the father. And when he wants to go on a vacation with the baby or child, he can take him or her with him."  
"Sounds like a good plan. We're almost done here. How does your girlfriend look?"  
"Beautiful."  
Doctor Blumfield laughed. "I thought more if she looks comfortable?"  
"Not comfortable, but not like she's in pain of scared."  
"We'll get her out of her dreams slowly. Keep holding her hand, talk to her and soon she'll open her eyes and see you. The best way to wake up."  
"It's what wanted if I were in her shoes." Wake up and look into the eyes of her lover. Sara had been there last year when Sofia woke up and there was nobody else she wanted more to see than her lover. Hopefully it was the same with Sara now, but Sofia was sure it was. 

"You look shaky." Don pulled Sara in his arms. "Are you all right?"  
"So far, so good. The narcotic were stronger than we thought. How are you?" She leant into his arms. Her legs felt like jelly, but she preferred it this way than waking up during the procedure.   
"Well, my part was more pleasure than pain, as usual the men get the nicer part. At least compared to what you had to go through."  
"It's over, the doctor took fourteen eggs. Now it's up to your little swimmer to make something with them."  
"They'll do their best. How is mommy number two?"  
"Happy Sara is done, she was brave." Sofia smiled.   
"No, I wasn't. You had to help me undress."  
"The way I know Sofia, this wasn't a punishment for her." Don chuckled. "I'm sure she enjoyed it and she has got plenty of practice."  
"Not in a doctor's office. Not with another woman watching us."  
"Doctor Blumfield kept it cool, we talked while she did her job, talked about you, babies and that you feel I'm around, hold your hand."  
"It's true, I felt you there, I heard your voice, but couldn't hear what you say."  
"What all my words meant was: I love you."  
"Love you too." Sara pulled Sofia in her arms and kissed her softly.   
"Who loves me?" Don asked theatrically   
"We both do." Both women gave him a big kiss on his cheeks. "Daddy."  
"Blue eyes versus brown eyes, we'll see who wins. I've to go, ladies, my work is waiting. What are your plans for today?"  
"I need a strong coffee and some muffins…and I know a place where we get the best."  
"And company for lunch. Okay, lets drive home, get the dogs and walk over to our favorite muffin shop, send Jules a text, we get her some coffee and muffins too for her lunch break. Shall we prepare the barbecue for tonight?"  
"Absolutely. I need a base for a hard battle later."  
"Tanya and the x-box?"  
"Little cheat won the last time, she must have cheated somehow, otherwise there was no way she could have won the game. Today is time for payback, I'll destroy her, piece by piece."  
"Don't forget you'll sit on chair sooner or later and then she'll have all the power over you." Sofia warned.   
"She hurts me, I arrest her for assault."  
"Be nice, she's your best videogames friend. When you chase her away, you've to play on your own."  
"Don't worry, you don't have take over for her and get in trouble with your girlfriend." He hugged Sofia and kissed her cheek. "See you tonight. Take care of your girlfriend, she was very brave today."  
"I will. Coffee and muffins. We'll get you some muffins too."  
"Thanks."   
"Come on, Honey, time to get you your special treats. And me too." Sofia took Sara's hand and walked with her towards the exit. No need to stay here any longer, they'd be back in a few days. 

A dozen muffins, a cake for later and three big coffees to go in their arms Sofia and Sara went to Jules's office.   
"Hello brave girl." Jules hugged Sara. "You look a little bit pale. Is the narcotic or more the act you had to go through?"  
"Both. Without Sofia by my side I had turned and ran."  
"Your girlfriend won't leave you alone in difficult times like these, you know that. And you'll be there when it's her turn with the doctor."  
"Yes." Sara took Sofia's hand. "Of course. No way I'd leave her alone. Don wants to be there too, he says as the future dad he has to make sure, the mother of his baby is fine. He's cute."  
"When you fall for the father of our child you'll be in trouble with me, darling." The blonde blinked. Yes, Don was cute and he was great. With a man like him as the father of their child, the child had to be special.   
"Never. The only man I fall for is Eric and you know, I can't help it, he got me and there's nothing I can do to get away from him."  
"You can flirt with Eric as much as you want, I'm only a little bit jealous when it comes to him."  
"I can assure you, Greg won't allow our son to date anybody until he is in high school." Jules laughed. "Or even later."  
"He'll change his mind as soon as Eric brings home a girl. Do you think your parents would look after the twins on Friday or Saturday night?"  
"Why Sofia? Is he planning something and you want to have my approval to look after the twins before I can ask my parents?"  
"No, actually I don't want them because I want to go out with you and Greg. It's the last weekend I can have a few drinks. If everything works out I'll be pregnant next weekend and there's no way I drink alcohol then. Or have a few dances. The first twelve weeks are critical, I don't want to do anything, that might endanger my pregnancy. So it's the last chance to dance and drink for a while…after that we can only go out with me and my basketball belly or have to wait until our baby is with my parents."  
"Did they decide if and when they move to Los Angeles?"  
"They'll move. Mom will have her last day of work in the middle of December, they won't move over around Christmas, so far they're looking for a house from the beginning of January. In Silver Lake and when you see a nice house in our neighborhood, let me know, the captain might want to live in there."  
"On the same street?"  
"Would be perfect, but I doubt we'll be this lucky again." After they found a new house for Greg, Jules and the twins only a few doors down the road where they lived, it was unlikely they were this lucky again.   
"How about in your house?"  
"No! That's too close to comfort!"  
"Sara offered me to move back in with my family."  
"I like her idea, there's a difference between having you in the room next door or my parents."  
"You like me more?"  
"Are you asking to boost your ego to make a psychological profile of me?"  
Jules started laughing.   
"Honey, Jules doesn't make profiles of us, she's in her lunch break and doesn't work as a psychologist right now. Unlike a cop, a psychologist is allowed to clock off and think about other things. Like if she wants another muffin or not." Sara chuckled.   
"I want another muffin, the problem is, there is already enough muffin around my hips. The twin left a lot of muffins on me when they left me."  
"You look amazing, stop worrying about things, that aren't real. I'm sure if we go out without Greg, there'll be a couple of suitor around you."  
"Stop flirting with me when Sofia is around."  
"What do you mean with 'when Sofia is around'? Are you two flirting when I'm not around?" The blonde asked.  
"We did nothing else when Sara was in therapy. Or did you really believe, we were working? It was all about compliments and shared muffins."  
"You talked her into giving me a chance."  
"Yeah, because I realized she wanted you and not me and I don't like being the second best choice."  
"You should say something different, my dear, so I don't shoot your former therapist."  
"Didn't she just tell you I want you? Anything else isn't important. You're the one I want and love." Sara bent over and kissed Sofia. "Don't let her tease you. Although I like it when she's teasing us. Very sexy. She gets laugh lines then and her eyes sparkle…not things you want to hear …okay…I stop."  
"Maybe I don't want her to go out with us anymore."  
"Yes you do. Jules, what do you say? Are you up for some party on Friday or Saturday?"  
"When do you two have a day off?"  
"Not this weekend." Sofia sighed.   
"I start later on Sunday."  
"Well, then lets go out on Saturday night. Greg has to work both days, like Sofia. We can go home earlier, so you have some sleep. How about Don? Does he have a day off?"  
"Not Sunday. Only you and Tanya can sleep in."  
"Means we'll have to prepare a barbecue on Sunday evening for our hard working friends even when you can't join it."  
"I like her a little more now." Sofia grinned. A barbecue was always a nice idea. Especially after a short night and a day filled with work. 

Sara pulled Sofia in her arms and kissed her shoulder. It felt good to be able pulling your lover into your arms. A few minutes ago she had been reading her book, then fell asleep or nodded off and now she turned and pulled the woman she loved into her arms. The blonde lay next to her, reading herself, but closed her eyes to savor the kiss.   
"Sometimes I wonder how I managed to survive without you by my side. How I could enjoy life without in my arms. It seems impossible now." She mumbled and placed more kisses on the shoulder. Gosh, she loved this woman so much, it almost hurt.   
"Forget the past, we've got plenty of time for our future. A lot of time to make up for the things we missed out."  
"Mhm…three years in Vegas."  
"You were in love with Grissom and never wasted a thought about me."  
"I did…first not the best thoughts but later…I worried about you a few times."  
"Sounds unbelievable, remembering the way you acted sometimes."  
"Like when you thought you shot Bell and I told you to see a shrink? It was for your own best. I saw how you suffered and knew, talking to Grissom - which wasn't allowed - would not help you. He is a great man, but not the best choice when you're down and need somebody to put you up."  
"You were jealous because he cared for me."  
"No…not only. Also worried about you."  
"Mhm, sure. You thought I flirt with him and wanted me away from your man."  
"You did flirt with him!"  
"No, I didn't. He's not my type. Way too old. A smart man, but…no, not my type. I prefer men with black hair, muscles and some interest in sport."  
"Don?"  
"No, not my baby brother."  
"Grissom likes baseball."  
"I mean, doing sports, not sitting in front of the TV and watch a ball game. That's something I want to do in thirty years, when I can't be active anymore."  
"You can active in thirty years, just not the way you are now. We'll have walks around the reservoir, play grandma basketball and have our kid telling us, how ridiculous we look on a motorbike."  
"What motorbike?" Did Sofia miss the part about their motorbike plans? Until now Sara had never mentioned it.   
"Oh, did I forget to tell you, I plan to get a motorbike license and a motorbike?"  
"Honey, we'll have a child soon, you can't take our child to school on a motorbike." And your life at risk while you're on this motorbike. Great, that thought sounded like her mother said it. She had to rethink it.  
"Of course I can. He or she will be so proud to be taken home on a Harley instead of a boring car."  
"We need to talk about this when you have the motorbike. You can take your girlfriend on a ride, but I'm not sure if I want our child on it."  
"You're just like your mother."  
"I beg your pardon?!?!" Sofia sat up and stared at Sara. Did she say, she was just like her mother? Because if she did, they would have a serious conversation right now! Sofia wasn't like her mother, especially not when it came to raising a child. No way. Her mother had been strict, never allowed her anything, that could be fun, told the blonde off for being out with her friends, partying and trips with boyfriends on a…okay maybe she reacted a little bit like her mother. Did Sara read her thoughts?   
"You heard me."  
"I am not like my mother!"  
"Yes you are. I bet your mother didn't want you on a motorbike neither."  
"That's not the same."  
"It's not? Why is that?"  
"You talk about taking our child taken home from school on a motorbike."  
"And that's not as safe as you being on a motorbike trip with your boyfriend, having a lot of beer in your backpack, a party on your mind and distracting him by holding on to not his hips but something else." The brunette asked amused.   
"Who the tell told you these lies?" Sofia felt hoe her face turned deep red.   
"Your mother." And Sara believed the captain this story. These words weren't lies, it was the truth, Sofia didn't want anybody to know.   
"It's what she thought I did."  
"It's what you did. When you were sixteen, your parents were away for a vacation and your boyfriend, Kerry, took you for a weekend trip."  
"How do they know? They weren't in town." That was she did it, with her parents away, she was free. Or thought she was free and wasn't watched.   
"No, they weren't."  
"Don't tell me, mom ordered her colleagues to have an eye on me."  
"Okay, I won't tell you."  
"They spied on me? I kept my helmet on when Kerry got stopped…for no reason."  
"The reason was you."  
"Why did she tell you these things?"  
"Because she wants me to know everything about my girlfriend."  
"They're not welcome in L.A. anymore. Gosh, when they live here, mom will tell you all the stories about my childhood and teenager time…all the stories she made up."  
"No, all the stories you don't want her or me to know."  
"There are reasons why these stories aren't anybody's business."  
"Yeah, not the kind of stories you should have people tell when you're a law enforcement person. And not the kind of stories you want your child hear about you when it's a teenager and wants to do all the things, you did as a teenager."  
"Do you plan to use these stories against me?"  
"Honey." Sara pulled Sofia in her arms and kissed her. "I'd never use anything against you, I love you. Don't you think I'll drive carefully with our child on the bike?"  
"Of course you will."  
"See, no reason to worry. And when our child will be as wild as you were as a teenager, you know all the tricks how to figure her or his plans out. Or we let the captain play PI."  
"She'll do it anyway. Are we sure we want them in the same town?"  
"Yes we do, we love them."  
"You came a long way from being scared of my mother, close to turn the car to wanting them around you."  
"Things have changed. Like we changed a little bit so we're not working but living together. From friendship to love, some changes are the best decisions in our life."  
"Loving me is your best decision in life?"  
"Absolutely." The brunette kissed softly the throat of the blonde. "Making you mine was the best thing I ever did."   
Sofia closed her eyes and enjoyed the lips of her lover running up and down her throat, softly nipping her skin, too soft to leave any marks behind, but hard enough to make the blonde's breath faster. Always the same, Sara's lips touched her skin and she was helpless, had no chance to resist. Not that she wanted. This was a sweet addiction, a sweet temptation, her private little sin and she loved being a sinner.   
"Who said I'm yours? Maybe you're mine."  
Sara smirked, her lips met the lips of the blonde and her hand got under the top, finding already hard nipples and teased them, making the other woman moan. Slowly her left leg got between the legs of the blonde, rubbed the hot and wet middle, her hands increasing the pressure and moving from one nipple to the other, hungry kisses that turned from sweet kisses into battles for control.   
"No Honey, you're all mine." Sara whispered. "All mine."  
"I'm still in control."  
"No, you're not." Sara's hand moved down and entered her lover. Immediately the blonde moaned and all her resistance and fight for power was over. No, she wasn't in control anymore, she was all Sara's. Her body moved to the rhythm the brunette's hand gave her, no chance to change anything or stop. Absolutely all Sara's. And it felt so good. 

24th of June Saturday

"Wow, you look…amazing."  
"What do you want?" Sara cocked her head and looked at Shane. When he started a conversation like this, he wanted something. Their shift had only began five minutes ago, did he get an order from their boss, he didn't like and wanted Sara to take over?   
"Just telling you the truth."  
"Shane, your yellow hair turns green, you're lying. What do you want?"  
"My hair doesn't turn green…what do I have to do for a major favor? Really big time."  
"Tell me what it is and I tell you what you have to do."  
"You know we get a little helper today, the boss wants me to look after him…I'm not good with teenager, really hate them, they're nasty and have no sense of…anything. Could you take care of him? His name is Stephen."  
"Is this the boy, who is supposed to stay the whole summer?" She heard about him at the last team meeting, at this time it wasn't sure, who was supposed to look after the boy.   
"Yes."  
"It was a punishment, what did he do?"  
"I've no idea and I don't really care. All I want is not being responsible for him. For over two months of voluntary work, you must have done something bigger and…that's nothing for me. Can't you do it? As a former law enforcement person, he'll have a lot of respect. You know how to handle these people."  
"Why did the boss choose you? What did you do to get this job?"  
"I…didn't agree on something with him and this is his way of payback. Not fair!"  
"You pissed the boss off and want me to get you out of it?"  
"Please. Pretty please? I owe you."  
"For this you owe me a lot…you won't be done with one favor, Shane."  
"Tell me what you want and I'll do it."  
"Whenever I want to swap shifts for the rest of the year, you'll do it, no matter what you've planed so far and you'll work for me on Christmas Day in the afternoon, so I can spend time with Sofia and her family."  
"Done."  
Sara raised her eyebrows. She expected him to complain about her demands, she certainly had done so if she was in his shoes.   
"You must be really desperate."  
"I just…don't like being a babysitter."  
"Okay, I talk to our boss."  
"Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! I love you!" He hugged and placed a big sloppy kiss on her cheek. "You're the best, the best friend, the best colleague, the best woman ever."  
"Stop it or I change my mind, I hate it when people suck up."  
"Sorry…I owe you. Big time."  
"You do and you know what you've to do." She got up and walked to her boss's office. Did she do the right thing? Taking the responsibility over a teenager, who was in trouble and had to spend his summer holidays here as a punishment. This didn't sound like an easy job, like he was eager to learn or cooperate. On the other hand, it was practice for their child. It had Sara's DNA and when it also had her stubborn head, this was like preparing for what they had to get through in fourteen years.   
After she knocked on the door her boss called her in. On a chair, clearly in a not happy state of mind, was a teenage boy. His black hair was long enough to fall into his eyes and the way he looked, he had a fight with Sara's boss. Not the best way to start his time here.   
"Sara, this is Stephen, our new team member. Do you know where Shane is? I told him to take care of Stephen."  
"I don't need anybody to take care of me!" Stephen grumbled.   
"Don't you think it's a better idea when I show Stephen around? Shane is too much a kid himself, they'll come up with a lot of crazy ideas and won't work a lot."  
"If you want to take over for him, you're welcome to do so."  
"Yeah, let me show him around. For how long will you be with us, Stephen?"  
"Too long."  
"Wow, that long? Means, we'll have enough time to work a lot. If you're done here, you can come with me, I need to prepare a few summer courses for kids."  
"He's done here. And if he gives you any trouble, let me know. We don't have to keep him here, he can also spend his summer holidays with other guys like him, but I doubt he'll get a lot of fresh air there. And if he does, the air is filtered by bars."  
"I don't give a shit."  
"You do, otherwise you weren't here. Get out and behave yourself, son."  
"I'm not your son!" Stephen yelled, got up and marched out of the office. Sara followed him with her eyes. A temper. Not unlike somebody she knew…when she was a teenager and even a CSI later.   
"Are you sure you want to handle him, Sara?"  
The first impression was, Shane could forget the favor and work with this kid. It was obvious, Stephen didn't want to be here, didn't want to work with them and was mad to be here. He wouldn't make it easy for them, wouldn't listen to the words you say.   
"Yes."   
"Okay, he's all yours. And Sara? I meant it, when he's not doing what he's supposed to do, let me know and I'll let him get picked up by the police and they'll take care of him. We're his chance, we do him a favor, not the other way around."  
"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Sara smiled a bit. No, he wouldn't make it easy for her nor anybody else around. He was angry, mad, hated them all. She knew this kind of anger, it had been inside herself for years. And this was the reason why she wanted to work with him, she wanted to know, what caused his anger. Until he would tell her, there was a lot of work waiting for them; work between them and not for their boss. 

"Is there anything you're interested in and would like to do?" Sara asked Stephen when they were outside. The boy sat on the steps in the sun.   
"Just wanna get over with it."  
"Okay. I need to work out a paper chase for a group of boys and girls between seven and nine, do you have any idea what they might want to see? Where to send them?"  
"Straight to the bears and mountain lions."  
"No, we can't do that, the last time I sent a group to them, they had an upset stomach."  
"Very funny." He said bored.  
"As funny as your suggestion."  
"I don't give a fuck what they do or see."  
"For what do you give a fuck?"  
"Nothing you have here."  
"So why are you here?"  
"Figured, it's better here than in prison, thought here won't be any happy social worker, trying to change my oh so great life into even better. Guess I was wrong."  
"We don't have happy social worker here, otherwise I had shot them already. What we do have is respect for each other and it would be nice if you could show some respect for other people."  
"Or what? You tell your boss? You threaten me with your gun? Punch the crap out of me? I'm scared."  
"No, you're annoyed and angry. What did people do to you to make you this angry?"  
"I just don't like this shit."  
"No, that's bullshit. Your anger doesn't come from this job, it has another reason."  
"Why would you care? Do you like playing babysitter?"  
"I've never been a babysitter, I don't really know how to handle babies or children."  
"But you told your boss you want to handle me."  
"You're not a baby nor a child and I don't want to handle you, I want to work with you and make your ten weeks here as good as possible for you. This doesn't mean I let you sit around and do nothing, no, you'll work, you'll work hard and you will get all the respect you deserve for your work."  
"Yeah, sure."  
"Don't call me a liar, you don't know me at all."  
"You people are all the same, promise things, try to manipulate me and when you got what you wanted, you don't give a shit about me. As soon as there's thunder in paradise, you're all gone."  
"I don't mind a good thunderstorm, it cleans the air. You complain about people, how awful they are, how badly they treated and treat you, but you're not better yourself. You're full of prejudice and don't give people a chance. Just like all the people you hate."  
"I'm not!"  
"Yes you are. No matter what I say or offer, you hate it without giving me or the job here a chance. You decided it's all a bunch of bullshit what we say and do and that we've nothing else on our mind than giving you a hard time. Not for a single moment you wanted to give us a chance, you were sure, all we want is to screw you over. That, Stephen, is prejudice. You do exactly what you expect people to do to you."  
"Screw you!" He turned and ran away.   
Instead of following him, Sara stayed where she was and watched him disappear between the trees. When he continued this way, he had a few miles to run. It wasn't the direction to the city, he ran north, up the mountains.   
Just like herself when she was a his age. This would be hard work and there was no guarantee, she would succeed at any time or point. 

"Hey, you don't look like you're ready to leave." For the second time within a week Sofia drove up the Angeles National Forest after work to meet Sara. This time she had Scooby and Rantanplan on a leash, so they had to wait until the blonde walked to the brunette to greet her; which they did like they hadn't seen her in years.   
"I'm not."  
"Still work to do?"  
"Kind of." Sara pulled Sofia in her arms and kissed her. "Do you have some time on your hands?"  
"For the woman I love I've got all the time in the world. What's up, Honey? Anything happened?"  
"Lets say, I bit up more than I can chew - at once."  
"Trouble? Is your boss mad for any reason?"  
"No. I…we got a new helping hand today, a teenage boy, Stephen. Shane was supposed to look after him, he offered me a lot to take over his job and I took it…Problem is, Stephen took off after we had a conversation, that included things, he didn't want to hear. He hasn't returned yet and I'm not sure if he's lost or left the forest and is already back in Los Angeles."  
"And you worry."  
"Yes."  
"Why is he here?"  
"I've no idea, he must have been in trouble with the law, this is his alternative for prison during summer."  
"Ouch, not the best start for a summer holiday job. What does your boss say?"  
"He doesn't know Stephen took off. When he finds out, he'll call the cops and Stephen ends up in prison…he's…I don't think he's a bad kid…only…troubled."  
"Like somebody we know used to be?" Sofia asked softly, squeezing the hand of her lover.   
"Yeah. Same charm."  
"How can I help you? If he took off, he could be anywhere. How will we narrow down the area he is? I can't order a copter, nobody owes me such a big favor and our dogs are great, but not search dogs. They do find you all the time, but they won't find him."  
"I know and I've no idea where to look, as I don't know anything about him."  
"What do you know?"  
"Stephen, fourteen, has to spend ten weeks here or he has to go to prison. That's it. I've no clue what he did nor where he lives, what his surname is."  
"Do you know who gets these kids a job like this one?"  
"No."  
"I do." Sofia smiled and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. "And when we're lucky we get some answers." She dialed a number, waited for a few seconds before she started talking again. "Melissa? It's me, Sofia Curtis, your favorite lieutenant, how are you?...no, I'm not back with the police, you know I hate working in an office and they won't let me work the streets anymore…no, still a CSI and it's not that bad…no…yeah, sure…listen, I need a favor. No, not a big one…or maybe it's a bigger one. Are you still in charge for the kids, who get sent to do voluntary work instead of going to prison? Great. How much can you tell me about a boy, fourteen, his name is Stephen and he's in Angeles National Forest…yes, I know you're not supposed to tell me about these things. Will you do it anyway? Why? Uhm…he works with my girlfriend…no, I don't worry about her, I worry about him…and this is not official, okay? He is gone, ran into the forest and we wonder, if you can help us with any information, so we can find him…no, we don't want to involve the police and send him to prison, we want to give him a chance…okay…yes…oh…shit…okay…yes…all right. Thanks Melissa. Yes, I owe you a beer and a pizza, let me know when and where and you'll get them. Thanks." The blonde ended the call.   
"Who is this woman and why do you go out for dinner with her?"  
"Because she bent some rules to give us answers. Are you jealous?"  
"Yes!"  
"I like that, shows how much you love me. Melinda is an old friend, we worked a few cases together when I was a cop. Your Stephen lives in a children's home and it's very unlikely, he went back there. He ran away a couple of times, got taken back by the police. Like you, he has a soft spot for motorbikes and cars, that got him into trouble and almost into prison. He stole a few motorbikes, enjoyed trips up to Santa Barbara and back brought the bikes back to where he got them. Or left them in a radius of a block. So when there is a motorbike in the forest, he's likely there and takes it for a ride."  
"Nobody reported a motorbike stolen…missing…" Sara said.   
"Sara, where is your little helping hand?" Sara boss came out of the office building. "His pick-up will be here any minute. Hello Sofia, nice to see you, how are you?"  
Sara swallowed. Not good. No good timing and not really the questions, she wanted to answer. There was no way she'd lie to her boss, but telling him the truth wasn't much better neither.   
"Hey George, I'm fine, thanks. How are you?"  
"Busy as usual in the summer time. Sara, where's Stephen?"  
"Uhm, he's kind of…not around."  
"He took off?"   
Why had her boss to understand the words she didn't say? He could have figured, Stephen was somewhere else, doing whatever Sara told him to do. Or be in the bathroom.   
"Maybe."  
"When?"  
"Right after we went out."  
"He's been gone for eight hours and you never bothered to tell me?"  
"I thought he might come back, only needed a little bit of time."  
"He'll get all the time he needs, I call the cops."  
"Do you really have to?"  
"Sara, he's fourteen, he's in the forest, has no idea where he is, doesn't know about the possible danger and oh, did I mention, he's fourteen? He's a boy and we can't let him walk around on his own, we need to look for him. The cops have to look for him."  
"Okay…Sofia and me will look for him as well…he ran up north, we drive up that way and drive around the roads down to Los Angeles."  
"Do that. Tell Shane to have a look too. When we can't find him, we have to order a couple of police dogs to trace him. You really should have told me earlier, Sara."  
The brunette sighed and looked down. She was aware of the danger Stephen could be in, as she was aware of his feelings.   
"Come on." Sofia took Sara's hand. "Lets have a look for him." She took the dogs to Sara's car and let them jump into the open trunk. Sitting on the passenger's seat, she let Sara take the wheel. "Where will we go first?"  
"Up north a little bit. Stephen isn't stupid, he'll realize, he was off in the wrong direction."  
"Maybe he wants to hide in the forest."  
"No, I doubt that. The forest isn't a good place to hide and he didn't strike me as a kid, who is a boy scout and knows, how to survive in the forest for a couple of days. He is a city kid, he'll go back to L.A. and try to vanish between the millions of people."  
"So he'll be on his way south. If he hitchhiked, he's in the city already."  
"I know and again, I doubt he did that. He was angry, not in the mood to talk to other people and when you pick up a fourteen year old kid, you ask him a couple of questions. He might have taken the bus if he has money, otherwise he'll walk."  
"Okay, we take the roads to L.A.. I could take my car and search other roads."  
"I'd rather have you with me, if that's okay."  
"Sara, there's no place in the world I rather be than by your side, you know that." Sofia bent over and kissed her lover on the cheek. "Care to tell me more about you and Stephen?"  
"There's nothing more to tell, we went out, he refused to do anything, acted like I was trying to screw him over and told him nothing else than lies. Then I told him, he'd act the same way the people do, he hates. Not exactly what he wanted to hear and he took off. Maybe I'm not that good with children at all and we should think about our own again. What if I scare our child off too?"  
"Honey, you'll be the mother, you will do and say things, that makes him or her mad, maybe our child will run away for a day, hide with a friend, can happen, I did the same, but I doubt, you'll make our child leave home."  
"I made him leave, knowing when he runs, he'll end up in prison."  
"The truth can hurt sometimes but at the end it's good to hear it. You were honest, he'll appreciate it at one point."  
"While he sits in prison and has time to think."  
"He'll end up in prison because of what he did. You're responsible for that, nobody else than him is responsible for what he did and does. He decided to steal or borrow the motorbikes, he decided to run away, like a child and not stay like somebody, who acts like a grown-up. They want to be treated like adults and behave like children. The world doesn't work like this and he needs to learn it."  
"I ran too…not so long ago."  
"You did and you learnt from it."  
"Yeah…never scare the one who loves you, she might do stupid things, when you do stupid things." Sara took Sofia's hands. "We both did not very smart things back at that time."  
"Lucky for us we had somebody looking after us; Don and Jules."  
"There was a time when I did the same Stephen did today…I ran away, the police found me, took me back home…and I…couldn't sit on a stool without a pillow for a couple of days." The brunette swallowed.   
Shocked, Sofia stared at her lover. "Your parents slapped you this bad?"  
"I was a few times in hospital when my dad slapped me, what I told you was after my mother killed my father and I ran away from my foster parents. They didn't like that and let me feel it. What if they do the same to Stephen? In the children's home. Or when he has to experience even worse things in prison. I know, he's responsible for what he did, each reaction has an equal and opposite reaction, but…what is when the reaction is worse than what he did? You know how life in prison is, you saw it for years as a cop."  
"Before we work on a plan how to get him out of prison, we must find him first."  
A plan how we get him out of prison? The blonde wanted to help her getting Stephen out of the trouble, he got himself in? He got himself in because Sara said words, he didn't want to hear. Was it her fault too? She felt like it.   
"I bet this wasn't your plan when you came to pick me up."  
"My plan was to spend the evening with you, looks like I can do that."  
"Chasing after a teenager?"  
"The best practice for our child, when we don't agree with the chosen partner and he or she leaves us because we're so narrow minded and have no clue about life."  
"Did you do that?"  
"No, I did a lot of things, but not everything." Sofia smiled a bit. She had been close to do this for a couple of times, but in the end she never did it. When she ran away, she left for a night and came back the next day, knowing, her parents would find her anyway and if she didn't come home herself, the trouble she'd get herself in, wasn't worth it. 

Four hours later Stephen was still gone and the two women stopped their search. The police was looking for the boy, the children's home was informed and the fact Sara didn't call the police right after Stephen ran away, didn't make her very popular. She still believed it was the right thing to do, even when there were a few little doubts.   
"I made a call to a friend, who works missing person and he'll let me know when the boy is found." Don sat down and handed a beer to Sara and Sofia.   
"Thanks."  
"He did do this a couple of times before, usually stays away for a night or two and then he lets us pick him up. Life on the streets doesn't seem to agree with him."  
"It shouldn't agree with anybody."  
"A lot of people prefer to live on the streets than in prison. And also the other way around. Your runaway seems to prefer a real bed to a park bench."  
"Who doesn't? Gosh, I feel guilty."  
"Why? Because you told him the truth? Never feel guilty for the truth." Don pulled Sara in his arms. She had told him what happened, why Stephen ran.   
"The truth can hurt."  
"Living in a lie hurts more."  
"Did you run away when you were a kid?"  
"A few times, I always came back in the evening. New York isn't exactly the best place to stay outside overnight and the parents of my friends were never on my side."  
"I hope he comes back too - and won't get into a lot of trouble."  
"Tell you what, when our guys pick him up. I make them call me and let you know."  
"Thanks."  
"Whatever it takes to make a beautiful woman happy. Come on, get into your party outfit and hit the dance floor with me. A good looking man in your arm, a hot rhythm, we'll get your head away from work and runaways."  
"Good looking man in my arms? What is with my very good looking, sexy girlfriend?"  
"You can have us both."  
"Aren't you taken by the dentist?"  
"The loser of the week? She owes me a few drinks and has to be the driver."  
"You two have an interesting relationship."  
"Interesting job, interesting friends, interesting housemates. I like interesting things, it's why I became a cop, it's interesting work, no day is like the other." He pushed her off the couch. "Go and get ready for a few nice hours, you've got only fifteen minutes left before our driver is here."  
"Are you telling me I need more time to look good?"  
"Baby, you look always good, you don't need to prepare yourself for anything. If you want, you can go like this and will be one of the most beautiful woman in the club."  
"Stop flirting with my girlfriend!" Sofia had heard more than enough, somebody had to stop him.   
"If you can't make her happy, I've to do it."   
"One more word and I kick you out of the house!"  
"No, you don't."   
"Come on, Honey, we get ready for our dance." Sara grinned and pulled Sofia in her arms. They had to hurry to be ready in time and Don was right, she had thought enough about Stephen - plus he would cross her mind a few more times this evening, she knew this. 

Sara kissed Sofia's neck, embraced her from behind and held on to her. They were on the dance floor, danced for a couple of songs before Sofia danced with Don and Sara with Greg. Now it was time to go back to the one she loved.   
"You're way too sexy to dance with Don."  
"Well, you were busy dancing with Greg. Are you free for me again?" Sofia leant into the body of her lover, caught her hands and squeezed them.   
"I'm always available for you."  
"Are you? First Don flirts with you, then Greg can't wait to pull you on the dance floor. Where does this leave me?"  
"In my arms, my hands on your body, my lips on your neck, making you think about if we can get some privacy in the bathroom."  
"Nice idea." The blonde purred. "Unfortunately they don't have loud music in the bathroom. Means, we have to be super quiet and that won't be possible. This leaves us to two possibilities: we wait until we're back home with the others or we call a taxi and go home right now."  
"My body says home, my brain says, we should stay. Our friends won't like it when we leave after an hour."  
"No, they expect us to stay until midnight. Bugger. Can I have a rain check on all the things running through my mind right now?"  
"Sure, if we can squeeze them in before you're pregnant."  
"Stop threatening me with not having sex anymore then I'm pregnant or I change my mind and you'll be the one, who gets the baby belly."  
"No way."  
"Then stop teasing me. I get really sensitive when it comes to not being allowed to sleep with my girlfriend anymore. I love you and there's nothing I let get in the way between you and me, not even our baby."  
"Nobody will ever get between you and me." Sara turned the blonde and kissed her passionately. "Nobody. And nobody will ever make me sleep in another bed than the one you are in; not if there's a choice. And when our baby is scared and wants to sleep in our bed, we have to work out a way how he or she can be in our arms without us being not in each other's arms anymore."  
"This sounds much better to me than your words before."  
"Happy again?"  
"Always happy when I'm in your arms. Want another dance?"  
"No, I take a break. You can have a dance with the cop."  
"He's busy with the dentist…they are really sexy together." Sofia looked at Tanya and Don, who were dancing together. Very close.   
"They are."   
"I might dance with your ex shrink."  
"Do that, she's a good dancer - according to Greg."  
"Did you ever dance with her?"  
"No."  
"Maybe I'll be her first woman."  
Sara raised amused an eyebrow and looked at her girlfriend. "Good luck with that." She took the hand of the blonde and pulled her with her to Jules and Greg.   
"Are you enjoying a night out without the twins?" Sofia asked.   
"Yeah, it's nice to have a few hours for ourselves, being a couple in love and not only parents." Jules said.   
"This beautiful blonde wants to dance with you." Sara grinned.   
"Sorry, you have to dance with my fiancé, he's a much better dancer anyway."   
"I don't mind when you don't dance that good. In fact, I can teach you a few very sexy moves if you want."  
"No, won't happen."  
"Oh come on, why not?"  
"You're not my type. Go, dance with Greg."  
"What if I'm not his type neither? He's into brunettes. You, Sara."  
"Oh, I don't mind sexy blondes." Greg grinned and took Sofia's hand. "Come on, lets show them how a real hot dance looks like." He pulled her towards the dance floor, leaving Sara and Jules alone.   
"You know, Sofia thinks you never danced with a woman before and her plan was to be your first."   
"A woman with dreams and ambitions. Sorry to ruin her plans."  
"No, you're not. Care to tell me why you don't dance with her? It's not because she's a woman, you're way too open-minded for that."  
"You think."   
"I know." Sara shot back with a smile.   
"What can I say? I'm not into blondes." Jules pulled Sara in her arms. "Come here."  
"Sorry, I'm only into blondes." Sara placed her head on Jules's shoulder. It was to spend more time with her, she always made Sara feel relaxed and problems seemed to fade away when she was with Jules. How did the therapist make this?   
"And your thoughts are with this boy. You know, you didn't do anything wrong."   
"Why do you know about it?" How did she always read Sara's thoughts? How was that possible. It was scary.   
"Because your best friend is my fiancé and when you don't feel right, he tells me, as you tell your fiancé, when your best friend is unhappy. You see a lot of similarities between you and him."  
"That's not what Greg told you, it's what you understood from what he told you."  
"Yes."  
"Two fucked up childhoods."  
"For some of the shit in his life he's responsible himself. Like running away this morning, losing his chance he got."  
"I wasn't exactly nice telling him…"  
"Sara, what you said isn't important, it doesn't matter. You can say whatever you want, it's up to the other people what they make with it. He decided, he wants to run and get himself in deeper trouble than staying and taking the easy way - on a long view. You were a foster child and never had any trouble with the law and your childhood was bad." Jules knew all the details, probably more than anybody else. All the things, Sara couldn't bring herself to tell Sofia. Didn't want her lover to carry the same burden, she had to carry.   
"You can't save them all, huh?"  
"No you can't, you can only save the ones, who want to be saved."  
"You saved me."  
"You saved yourself, I only showed you a way, it was you, who took the way and it was Sofia, who kept you going. But in the end, without you working on yourself, wanting to change, there had never been any kind of success. Your life, your responsibility. You wanted more than nightmares and being caught in the past, you got yourself out. He can do the same if he wants."  
"It's not easy."  
"Life is not supposed to be easy, it's supposed to be a challenge and a journey. Sometimes you're on a bumpy road, but it can lead you to a wonderful lookout."  
"Mhm…" A lookout. Was Sofia her lookout? No, Sofia was her final destination, the place she always wanted to be, the top of everything. "Jules?"  
"Yes Dear?"  
"We're dancing." Sara grinned. They had started to move to the rhythm of the music while they talked, Sara still in Jules's arms, her head on the shoulder of the therapist.   
"I know."  
"Sofia will be jealous."  
"You're not blond and you're not the first woman I dance with."  
"You had somebody else this close in your arms?"  
"A couple of times, sorry to disappoint you."  
"You never disappointed me." Sara closed her eyes and relaxed. No, Jules never disappointed her. Just like Sofia. She could call herself very lucky to have two wonderful and reliable people in her life. 

"You and Jules are really lucky I'm such a nice woman." Sofia whispered into Sara's ear when she had the brunette back in her arms.   
"How is that?"  
"She danced with you. The relationship you have with her is special and most girlfriends wouldn't appreciate such a relationship of her partner. They'd get really mad and might shoot both of you when a gun is available."  
"Being a CSI, a former cop, a gun is available for you."  
"Yes."  
"And still, there's no need to worry for me because you love me and you'd never hurt me." The brunette kissed the blonde softly. "But continue to play bad ass girlfriend, I kind of like that. It suits you."  
"You're making fu of me!"  
"No, I tell you I love you."  
Sofia sighed happily. So much for pretending being mad and dangerous. Her girlfriend loved her and she loved her even more.   
"I let you off the hook."  
"Thanks darling, I'll make up for it later."  
"Now, that's a promise you have to keep, I won't let you off this one."  
"Don't worry, I want to make this promise come true myself. A lot. In fact, I think we should prepare our soon return home. We spent enough time here, I know a few better things to do than dancing in a club."  
"Like what?"  
"Like having my tongue running all over your body, kissing every inch of your body and giving you multiple orgasm the whole night long."  
"We've to go! Now!" Sofia took Sara's hand. "Lets tell them we take a taxi, they can enjoy themselves a little bit longer, we need to go home. Now! And not in an hour or so. Every minute we've to wait is too much!"  
"Didn't you want to give me a hard time for dancing with Jules?"  
"Jules who? I don't know a Jules, lets go home."  
Sara laughed, checked her watch and pulled the blonde into her arms. "It's almost midnight, time to go home anyway. You've to get up in six hours, sure you want anything else than your goodnight sleep when we're home?"  
"Does the Pope wear pink shoes?"  
"I wouldn't know."  
"He does, pink slippers. And I want you to make your promise come true tonight. Not tomorrow or any other night. Tonight."  
"Okay, lets tell them we…"  
"Waste of time, we send them a text from the taxi, they won't want to join us, come on." The blonde the brunette out of the club. Their friends knew, they wanted to go home early, why waste precious time on telling them, saying goodbye and discussing, if they don't want to stay a few more minutes. No, they could leave right away and have more time for themselves, for Sara to make her promise come true. 

26th of June Monday

Sofia's hand found Sara's and squeezed it tightly. To say she was tensed was a huge understatement. Last week it had been Sara, who sat or lay on this chair, now it was her time. Today was the day she'd have two of Sara's eggs placed in her uterus. The first and hopefully last two of the fourteen eggs, that were ready to be used. In case it worked out the first time, they had to think about what to do with the other twelve, but this had time.   
"I'm scared like hell." The blonde gasped.   
"Me too."  
"The chances we'll be here in a couple of weeks again are high." Which made it worse. Go through all this again.   
"Think positive, Honey." Sara kissed her lover. Of course the odds were against them, so were all odds in Vegas for the gambles. Nevertheless, there were enough people, who made a fortune in Sin City.   
"We'll have a beautiful baby in ten month, in our house and we'll be proud parents, no traces of the pregnancy is left on my body and my parents look after our baby every time we want some privacy."  
"Much better." The brunette laughed softly. She didn't doubt her parents-in-law would be more than happy to look after their grandchild, but she wasn't sure she wanted to go out and have fun while her baby was at home. Nor that Sofia's body wouldn't show any evidence of the pregnancy a month after the delivery. Nothing she should tell her lover.   
"How are my lovely ladies today?" Doctor Blumfield came into the room in her usual good mood. "Everything all right? How did we sleep? Any problems? Besides being over the moon and very nervous."  
"I've no idea how you slept, we barely slept. This makes us crazy." Sofia whined. "It's like torture, all these instruments you will use and knowing, it's more likely we have to come back for one or more tries."  
"I promise it won't hurt and I do my best you don't have to come back. Think positive, Sofia. Like Sara, she was very brave last week."  
"I want our baby in my arms and be done with the rest of it! No waiting, no pregnancy, no pain, no ruined body."   
The doctor sat down, watched them both, still with a smile on her face. She was used to scenes like this. "Well, science isn't that far that we can develop babies outside the body of a woman and I hope, science will never be this far. There's reason why nature decided babies have to be in the body of a woman and human being should respect mother nature. We interfere a lot with her, like we did last week and will do again in a few minutes, but the most important parts should be left untouched."  
"Pain, looking fat, unable to move, there are a few reasons why I would support new improvements."  
"Abuse of knowledge, abuse of human life, not feeling the first movements of your baby, not feeling how the heart of your baby beats under your own heart, not being the reason why your baby came into this world, lack of the love of a mother. A baby feels the love inside the mother's body. No machine can give your baby what you'll give him or her. You're the first person your baby loves, the one it will love most the first months."  
"Okay, you won." Sofia sighed.   
"No, you'll win, you'll be a mother. You'll feel how your and Sara's baby move inside you, you will feel if it's happy or upset, you'll have the biggest influence of it for nine month. Nobody else can influence the development as much as you can. You'll create a little wonder, a new life."  
"I won't change my mind, doc, don't worry. But thanks for supporting me and reminding me why I want to be pregnant."  
"Chocolate without an end, the baby is the excuse for every new bar, nobody will call you fat, they'll all love your baby belly and your girlfriend will get up in the middle of the night to bring you a huge bowl of ice cream with cookies, cream and chocolate sauce."  
"I love being pregnant." Sofia grinned. "Did you hear that, Sara? You'll get me ice cream deluxe to bed."  
"Can't remember I agreed. Maybe an apple or any other fruits. You need healthy food, it's the best for the baby and you."  
"Darling, you better agree on chocolate and ice cream or I make our baby smug!"  
"It will be smug, nine months in your body, fed by your body, having more or less your blood, our baby will be the queen of arrogance."  
"And this woman claims she loves me." The blonde complained.   
"She does, it's obvious. Okay, relax Sofia, we'll start now. Time to get you pregnant."  
"You know, if science wants to develop in the area of pregnancy, why don't scientist figure out a way how Sara can get me pregnant without having doctors and needles and all these kind of shit around me? Only my girlfriend and me, in a bed, candle lights, romance and a lot of love. That would be a great invention."   
"Most scientists are men and won't make themselves needless, plus you need sperm for a baby and I doubt women will ever produce sperm."  
"Some of the athletics look like they're more men than women, they might be able to do so. With all the medicine they took."  
"No, they aren't and I'm not an athletics." Sara kissed Sofia softly. She shared the wish of her lover. This wasn't romantic, it hadn't much to do with love. But it was the only way to make their dream come true. 

"Now you have to take care of me, get me another bowl of ice cream and do everything I want you to do." Sofia smiled, snuggled deeper into the cushions on the couch and watched Sara taking away the empty bowl of ice cream. Ice cream with cream, chocolate cookies and chocolate sauce. No fruits. Just the way Sofia liked it best.   
"You're not sick, Honey."  
"No, I might be pregnant and it's better when I stay relaxed, so your eggs can settle in and we'll be mommies in a few month. We don't want to risk anything by me walking around, getting all the lovely ice cream myself, so it's much better when you do the walking and I stay here and watch TV, wait for you to amuse me. A couple of kisses are also good for the eggs to settle."  
"Uhm, are you sure you listened to the same doctor I did? Because I understood you're not allowed to lift heavy things for forty-eights hours, no strenuous physical activity, such as running or zumba aerobics for two days. Getting your own bowl of ice cream isn't part of heavy exercise. No bath, no swimming for the same time, no douching, tampons or using a bidet, no alcohol, smoking or recreational drug use. As a CSI I hope the last one is never on your mind and becoming a mother the other should be banned too. And last, but not least: no intercourse and no orgasms until you can see a fetal heartbeat via ultrasound or you have a negative pregnancy test."  
"Which means, as soon as there's a heartbeat we can have sex again."  
"Yes, but first we have to wait for two weeks. I hope you can be also happy with only being in my arms."  
"I spent more than two weeks in your arms when you moved to this place and I was happy. Not as happy as I would have been with you sleeping with me, because then I had known, you feel the same for me than I feel for you, but to have you in my arms feels like paradise. Plus, there are no reasons why you shouldn't have an orgasm."  
"Same rights for everybody." Sara smiled, sat next to her girlfriend and pulled her into her arms, kissing her softly. "I love you." Time was ticking. The next two days were very important, when her eggs or one of them, settled, their chances of having a baby increased a lot. The problem was the waiting. Two weeks until they got an answer. Two long weeks of hope and fear.   
"Love you too and I will get us some more ice cream. It's not heavy lifting, I take the diet ice cream, that's light."  
The brunette laughed. That was an interesting theory. "How will you teach our baby not to eat only candy when they're high on your food list?"  
"It's your part, all these healthy food teaching. Do you want our child to be a vegetarian?"  
"Our child can make her own decision. Until then we should feed meat. After all, human are predators and they eat meat. As you know, I don't mind other people eating meat, I never tried to turn you into a vegetarian, I buy your steaks and fix you salami sandwiches."  
"True love." The blonde sighed and snuggled into the arms of the other woman. Wasn't she a lucky person to have such a great girlfriend?   
"We'll have a baby, I think that's a sign for true love. So far we have been through a lot to get you pregnant. And it wasn't fun."  
"Yeah, I've no idea who said, getting pregnant is fun, it's hard work, painful and expensive. No fun at all."  
"Just because I insisted on you won't have sex with Don to get pregnant. Could have been so much easier and less expensive. With more fun for both of you."  
"I rather pay all the money than sleep with somebody else than you. Don is my little brother, I love him, but only with all his and my clothes on. Or at least with our swim stuff on. Plus we wanted your DNA involved, I can't have an egg of you in me by sleeping with Don. Or when you sleep with him - which I don't want to imagine - and somehow, with the help of magic, the eggs ends up in me. No, this is the only way for our baby when we both only want to sleep with each other and that's what we want."  
"Good answer." Sara grinned and kissed her lover again before she started chuckling, remembering something from the beginning, when she moved in here. "Remember how I thought he's gay because you don't sleep with him?"  
"Yes, I remember. He's good looking, charming, sexy and must be gay when we don't have sex. Because it's impossible for me not to have sex with a good looking, charming and sexy hetero man. And all good looking men are gay. I didn't like your theory."  
"I know. But for the Sofia I knew from Vegas, it seemed impossible to live with such a gorgeous man and not having sex with him."  
"The Sofia you knew in Vegas changed, just like the Sara I knew in Vegas. Who slept with a not really sexy man. Smart yes, sexy not really."  
"Attraction is in the eye of the beholder."   
"If you ever see Grissom again, will you be attracted to him?" Could they visit their old team or had the blonde to fear, her lover would fall for her ex again?   
"Sofia, I love you. I don't care who is around, the only one I love, who I'm attracted to, is you. Nobody else." To make it clear she meant every word she said, Sara kissed Sofia passionately. Attracted to somebody else? Why would she waste a thought for somebody else when she had the most amazing woman in the world as her lover? She'd be very stupid to risk this and she was a lot of things, stupid wasn't one of them. 

Sofia's cell phone rang and showed the I.D. of Don's work cell phone. She wasn't working today due to her IV appointment earlier, so it had to be a private call - or a very urgent work call, she couldn't take. Not today, but he knew that. Probably he wanted to know how the appointment was, she sent him a text when she was back in the car that everything worked out fine and they should hope from now on.   
"Hey soon-to-be-daddy, how are you?"  
"Checking on the mother of my boy. Are you home and in bed?"  
"I'm home, on the couch, having a second bowl of ice cream. There's no reason for me to stay in bed, I'm not sick. Walking isn't a problem, what I can't do is carry the heavy rubbish bin out of the house or a box of beer…not that I can drink beer anymore."  
"I take care of the rubbish and the beer, don't worry. Otherwise you feel fine? No pain? Is Sara with you?"  
"Where else should she be?"  
"True. Listen, there are two reasons why I called: first was to hear how you are and the second is, you wanted to know when somebody picks up the kid, who ran away from the forest."  
"Did you find him?"  
"Yes, he's here. Do you or Sara want to talk to him before we call the children's home?"  
"I want to talk to him, yes. Sara has no legal rights to talk to him, me as a CSI…well, is he connected to a crime?" Otherwise she couldn't talk to him neither. In fact, she had to wait until a representative of him was around.   
"Officially not, no. But I can make him a person of interest if you want."  
"You're the best."  
"I know. When will you be here?"  
"Fifteen minutes? I leave right away."  
"Don't forget to tell your girlfriend, she gets mad when you leave her out. And don't hurry, think about the baby."  
"I know, women are so complicated." Sofia laughed. "See you in a couple of minutes." She ended the phone got up, held her belly and shook her head at the same time. There was no reason to hold her belly, she wasn't pregnant - well not that pregnant. And the doctor told her various times, when she walked nothing could happen. The eggs couldn't fall out just because she stood upright and walked. No standing on her head all the time.   
"Sara? Don called, they found your lost boy."  
The brunette came back from the kitchen. "Really? Where is he?"  
"At the police station. You know the rules, you can't talk to him."  
"But…I want to talk to him."  
"I know. Listen, Don can make him a person of interest in a crime, that allows me to talk to him. Would this help you?"  
Sara sighed. She wanted to talk to Stephen, wanted to know why he ran, but she knew her lover was right, there were no legal ways for her to talk to the boy. "Okay." It was better when Sofia talked to him than nothing at all. "Can I come with you?"  
"Of course." The blonde pulled the other woman in her arms and kissed her. "I love you and I want you by my side all the time."  
"Except when you're in interrogation."  
"If there was a legal way I'd want you with me. We were great together in Vegas, played them all, had a great rhythm. You the smart CSI, with all the answers to questions and me, the bad ass cop, knowing what the suspect thought and planed before he did. Come on, I told Don, we'll be there ASAP. You drive."  
"Yeah, I drive better and faster."  
"No comment, except I love you." The blonde answered amused. If her girlfriend wanted to believe, she was the better driver, she wouldn't destroy this dream. 

When Sofia entered the interrogation room she found a teenager boy, who had placed his head on the table, didn't bother to look up when she came into the room and a bored officer with him.   
"Thanks Derreck, I take it from here."   
"No problem, lieutenant." He smiled and left the room, while Sofia felt again a little boost of adrenalin when he called her lieutenant. They still used her old rank to show their respect and it made her feel…like crying sometimes. And she couldn't blame her hormones because she was pregnant. It happened all the time and so far she had no idea if she was pregnant. Like five hours pregnant. Could you be five hours pregnant? She supposed so, your pregnancy had to start and it didn't start with four weeks pregnant.   
"Hello Stephen, I'm Sofia, how are you?"   
He raised his head, looked at her and lowered the head again disinterested. "Great, they sent a porn barbie cop."  
Porn barbie cop? Okay with her shorts and top she didn't look like an officer, but a porn barbie? She wasn't sure if she was flattered or mad.   
"I'd like to talk to you."  
"What for? Wanna have a date? Wanna show me your cuffs?"  
This kid was worse than a college boy - and he wasn't in a legal age to have sex. His comments could get him into trouble. For Sara's sake she'd ignore them.   
"I want to know why you ran away from the forest? Do you prefer to be in prison?"  
"Who cares? You get food there and they leave you alone."  
"How often have you been in prison?"  
"Never. Why?"  
"Because you have no idea about life in prison, they won't let you alone there. Especially not your new friends. A cute little boy like you, you'll have more boyfriends than you can handle."  
"I'm not a boy."  
"You ran away instead of facing the real life, a man doesn't run, he stays and stands up for what he did. Only children run."  
"Fuck off!"  
"Yeah, that makes you so much an adult."  
"Wanna give me a BJ? Or shall I show you how much a man I am?"  
"You're fourteen."  
"So? I bet I can teach you a thing or two."  
Sofia shook her head. This didn't make any sense, he didn't respond to questions in a way it helped them, she had to come up with something different. Time to listen to her guts, not to the things she learnt in police academy. Slowly she got up and walked to the door. "Looks like Sara was wrong. You are just like all the other losers from the street, nothing special. What a pity, she was so sure you are special, but you're just another disappointment."  
"What do you mean with nothing special?"  
"Apparently she saw something special in you, but she must have been wrong. The way I see it, the way you behave, you're just like all the other teenagers we have in here every day. Good for nothing, unable to stand up for themselves and no character. Nothing special at all, only a street kid, who can do nothing else than say his stupid boyish comments, but doesn't use his brain. Enjoy your time in prison." She opened the door.   
"Hey! Wait! What did she say?" His attention was on Sofia, he sat upright.   
"Why care? You get what you want, your prison time. See you next time, when you and your new buddies get caught."  
"What the fuck did she say?" He jumped up, followed her to the door. Officer Derreck, who waited in front of the door, stepped between them, grabbed Stephen and pushed him back to the chair.   
"You wait there until child services arrives and sends you to prison."  
"I wanna know what she said!" Stephen ignored the officer.   
Sofia stopped, looked at him. "What for? You weren't interested in working with her, why do you want to know what she said? Can't be important to you. And in prison nobody gives a shit about what a woman thinks. They don't care when Sara thinks you're special, so why care?"  
"Because…everybody thinks I'm just another fucked up kid from the children's home with a prison career ahead."  
"You're on the best for that, the way you behaved since I'm in this room it look like it…but she thinks you're way too special for that. Unfortunately you proved her wrong. Instead of a second chance, you want to go to prison, that's what fucked up kids do. Special kids would fight for their chance, take their life in their own hands and make something special out of it. And when somebody tells them, they can't do it, they work even harder to prove this fucker wrong. You want the easy way, you ran, you don't fight, that's not special."   
"Easy for you to say, you don't live my life."  
"No, I don't. But I know people who had a tougher life than you have and they made something out of their life instead of taking the easy way out. And that's the difference between a loser and a fighter. The loser does what the world expects them to do, they go to prison, the fighter show the world how wrong they all were and makes something special out of their life."   
"It's not like I have a choice anymore. They don't want me anymore therefore I've to go to prison."  
"There's always a choice. But why would they give you a second chance? You ran, when the judge decides you get a second chance, why would anybody believe you won't run again? As soon as somebody says a word you don't want to hear."  
"If I can work with Sara, I won't run."  
"Why should I believe your words? So far you haven't done anything that justifies trusting you."  
"I don't break promises."  
"Noble. Especially coming from somebody, who prefers to go to prison than work."  
"Don't make fun of me. If I say I stay and work, I do it. But I doubt she or the forest will give me a second chance."  
"Well, you can ask her yourself if you want, she's here."  
"She's here? Why?"  
"Like I said, she believes you're special."  
"I am. I'm not criminal, a loser."  
"Then stop acting like an idiot and make something out of your life, boy. Stop acting like a child and become a man."   
"Lieutenant, child service is here." Officer Derreck said.   
Sofia looked at Stephen. "Your choice. Continuing your life like it is now or change it. Which way is it, Stephen? The easy one or the hard one?"  
"They told me if I mess up the forest job, I go to prison. I can't choose anymore."  
"You promise me you will work in the forest, work very hard, won't give any of the worker there a hard time, won't run and stay out of trouble and I get you your second and last chance."  
"Deal."  
"We're not dealing here."  
"Okay, I promise."  
"You better keep your promise." Sofia stepped out of the room. "I want to talk to child services."  
"You know where to find them, lieutenant."  
"Thanks. Do you think you can organize something to drink for the kid? He looks thirsty."  
"I'm sure I find something."  
"Thanks. See you later." Sofia smiled. She still had the moves of a good lieutenant. And after she talked to Stephen, she could see what Sara meant, when she said, he was special. He was just the way Sofia supposed Sara was at his age. Angry, lost and in need for somebody, who believed in him. 

"You got yourself into some hard work." Sofia sat next to her lover, took her coffee and finished the almost empty cup.   
"What did happen?"  
"He called me a porn barbie cop."  
Sara looked in disbelieve at her lover. "He did what?"  
"And he offered me to show me how much a man he is by having sex with me. Oh, and he wanted a BJ. Are you sure you want to work with him?"  
"He touches you and won't be a man anymore." Sara grumbled. She had thought Stephen was different, had more to offer than the ordinary young male comments, they heard already in Vegas from suspects. Had she been so wrong?  
"That's my woman."   
"Where is he?"  
"Talking to a judge and the boss of his children's home, fighting for his second chance. I told him, you believe he's special. Most young adults wouldn't care about such a comment, to him it seemed important."  
"You played him."  
"Of course."  
"He fell for it?"  
"Of course again."  
"Poor Hollywood police department, they lost their best lieutenant by not allowing you to work on the streets anymore."  
"The lost of the police is the gain of the CSI team. And you do think he's special, so I didn’t lie to him."  
"No, you didn't."  
"And he promised me, if he gets a second chance, he'll work hard, won't give any of you guys a hard time and proves, he isn't like all the other kids. So, lets see if he wins his first fight. Then you better make sure he gets some manners."  
"Did you talk to the judge and the man from the children's home?"  
"I did and I told them, in my opinion, he deserves a second chance. It's up to them and your boss, if he wants to give him a second chance. Without the forest agreeing in a second chance, he goes to prison."  
"Maybe I should call George and talk to him."  
"Yeah, it's time you do something too. Don't let your wife do all the work. Your poor pregnant wife."  
"She's good in the things she does. Actually, she's good in everything. a reason why I love her so much."  
"If you're after getting laid, it won't happen. Sorry, we're in a critical pregnancy stage the next two week - gosh, how horrible long, I've no idea how to survive these weeks. I could use some more ice cream…"  
"Why don't we go back home? Our ice cream bowls are in the freezer, we have to finish them. I can call my boss from there and there's nothing left we can do here."  
"True. Movie, ice cream, arms, kisses?"  
"Is this ordered in what's most important first?" Sara smirked.   
"No, the most important thing is last. No ice cream can hold the candle to your lips."  
"Good, lets get your list done." She pulled the blonde in her arms and walked out of the police department with her. Hopefully their trip had been successful. They did all they could, the rest wasn't in their hands anymore. 

"I have got a huge pizza for the mother of our child." Don came into the living with a huge carton, that smelled like pizza. "Or the mothers."  
"Oh pizza…I love pizza. And you, come here, get a kiss." Sofia opened her arms for Don, who put the pizza aside, sat next to the blonde and let her pull him in her arms and kissed her softly. "How are you?"  
"Still fine."  
"You'll be sore when you kiss my girlfriend again on the lips, Donald!" Sara grumbled. "Just because you're the father of the baby, you are not allowed to kiss her like this. She is and will always be my woman."  
"Jealous?"  
"You kissed her on the lips."  
"Shall I kiss you on the lips too? You're the mother of my child too."  
"I'm the only one who's allowed to kiss this precious lips!" Sofia protested.   
"You're both cute when you're jealous."  
"Get yourself a girlfriend."  
"As soon as I'm walking our baby in a stroller and the women find out, I'm a single dad, they'll be all over me. Women love men, who love children and take care of them."  
"And then she finds out your child has two mothers, you live with them and they'll never believe, you're not having an affair with both of us." Sara completed his fantasy.   
"As soon as she sees you and Sofia kissing, she'll know, I never had an affair with one of you because you've only eyes for yourselves. There's no place for a man in your relationship."  
"There's place for a man in our life, as a friend and father of the baby." Sofia kissed Don's cheek. "Thanks for calling me today and getting the pizza. How was your day?"  
"Greg and me worked on a case and we got a burglar. I had a court appointment, charmed the jury and now one bad guy more is in prison."  
"Any words of our teenage boy?"  
"Well, as far as I know he'll get his second chance, but he has a strict curfew and when he does the smallest mistake, they will kick his ass in prison. Did he really call you a porn barbie cop?"  
"Who told you that? Derreck?"  
"So he did. Wow."  
"No, not wow. I wasn't impressed and told him, when he wants people to see him as a man, he has to behave like one and not like a horny stupid teenager."  
"You have a way with kids."  
"I didn't use these words but…what I said meant the same. It worked out. Or it worked because I told him, Sara believes in him and sees somebody special. You get him by his pride, he doesn't want to be like anybody else. I like that."  
"Sounds like somebody I know." Sara grinned.  
"Yeah, I know somebody like this too." The blonde shot back dryly.   
"Maybe we know the same person."  
"Mhm, a bitchy brunette."  
"No, I thought of a smug blonde."  
"Only know a very sexy blonde and she's your girlfriend."  
"Smug and arrogant to the bones."  
"The mother of your child."  
"Turning the baby into the same narcissist she is."  
"And you'll love both of them."  
"Endlessly." Sara pulled Sofia's head to hers and kissed her.   
"Don't you have a room?" Don asked.   
"We do, the problem is, we are also not allowed to have sex for the next two weeks. If I had known about this before, I'm not sure if I had agreed on IV. Do you have any idea how hard it is not to have sex for two weeks when you live with a beautiful women?"  
"Actually I do. I live with two beautiful women and didn't have sex in…a long time."  
"Well, you should look for another beautiful woman, not one that's in love with a beautiful woman herself. What does your therapist say about your sex life?"  
"When you're ready for a relationship you'll know."  
"Great advice."  
"Tell me about it. Okay girls, we'll know in two weeks if we'll be parents next year, won't we?"  
"Yes. The odds are against us, because I'm twenty nine and too many months, but we have a chance. The question is, if this doesn't work out the first time, how many more tries will we give it?"  
"That's up to you, you're the women who has to see the doctor all the time, you have the pain, not us." Sara took Sofia's hand. As much as she wanted a baby with her girlfriend, she didn't want the blonde to get through the procedure too often. It was uncomfortable, painful and expensive.   
"I want a second try, if it doesn't work and an third. After that…I'm not sure. Our chances aren't getting bigger by keep trying. But I'm positive we'll be parents next year. Maybe not in spring time but by Christmas. With us as parents, the baby must want to be a part of our family. Nobody wants to miss out the fun being with us."  
"Lets hope our baby thinks the same. You know." Sara pulled Sofia in her arms, kissed her hair. "There is the possibility you'll be pregnant with twins and we have only one room. For the first years that's not a problem, but later we need a second room."  
"Well, if we expect twins, we'll get a second room. The gym is luxury, we make it disappear and replace it with another room and a bathroom. Or do you want to give up your living room for a bedroom Don?"  
"I'd do it but I think the gym is a better idea. We don't need to work out, we look already great."  
"You got it, brother." The blonde grinned.   
"Great, two smug people…and both are having an influence on the child…am I the only normal person in this family?"  
"Who said you're normal?" Sofia kissed Sara. "You're special, not normal."  
"And you're crazy."  
"Crazy in love with you."  
"Crazy enough to love me, as I am crazy enough to love you. A bunch of nut cases. Poor baby."  
"Oh, I'm sure it will be fine in this crazy house. It's like living with the Bundys. Married with children."  
"Like I said: poor child." Sara chuckled, kissed her lover and kept her in her arms. Maybe they were a little bit unusual, sometimes a little bit crazy, but they were lovable, weren't they?  
"As long as you don't make me Al Bundy." Don said.   
"You said you don't have sex, you must be the son…whatever his name was."  
"He was a loser."  
"The son and the father were loser, the mother was crazy and the daughter a slut. Maybe we should find another family as our role model."  
"How about a successful family? The Ewigs? I can be Bobby, I've the looks."  
"As long as you don't slip under the shower and sleep for a year, Sofia won't be your Pamela. We can Sue Ellen and J.R., I liked this grin, he was so nice mean."   
"Why am I not surprised my girlfriend likes the mean one? Come on, my cute J.R., lets get something to drink before our pizza is cold. Don, do you want a beer?"  
"No, not today. Today we're all three pregnant and won't drink any alcohol. I've to support you as good as I can."  
"You won't drink the whole nine months?"  
"Uhm…lets start with today, see if we can extend it to the first two weeks, but the whole nine months? No, sorry."  
"That's the difference between a man and a woman. The father of my child won't give up alcohol, the mother of my child does. She loves me, really loves me. It's why I'm with her and not with you." Sofia kissed Sara softly. Her lover was the best, she didn't let her go through all the changes alone, didn't expect her to give up everything without doing the same. 

27th of June Tuesday

"Happy birthday." Sara pulled Sofia in her arms and kissed her gently. The birthday of her lover, the first they celebrated together. Last year the blonde had the accident, none of them felt like celebrating anything, the year before Sara missed the blonde's birthday by only one day. The year before the day after Sofia's birthday Sara was pulled into Hollywood police department for the possible possession of drugs, the brunette didn't feel like celebrating with the blonde at all. This year Sofia's birthday was maybe the first day of her pregnancy, finally a reason to celebrate.   
"I love you. Love you, love you, love you."  
"Love you too. It's good to wake up in your arms on my birthday, not being in pain."  
"Maybe being pregnant."  
"Yeah, maybe pregnant. We know in two weeks…can we have sex next year? On my birthday? After last year…I wasn't that…in the best condition."  
"We slept together on your birthday." Sara kissed Sofia softly. "But you were in pain, didn't feel comfortable. Now you might be pregnant, but next year…you won't be pregnant, I make sure you're happy and healthy and we…leave our baby with your mom and go away for two nights, where we can be all alone and enjoy every second together. No computer. no phone, a big 'do not disturb' sign on the door."  
"You want to leave our baby just for sex?"  
"No, not for just sex. for sex with you, the woman I love. I'll love our baby, but after we didn't celebrate your last two birthdays, we're so due for a birthday celebrating, a naked and with sex filled birthday celebration."  
"Gosh, only these words make me want you."  
"Thirteen more days."  
"Yeah…why didn't we wait with this until after my birthday? Wait, I can answer this question myself. It was the prefect day, if we wanted the next perfect day, we had to wait for another month and we want our baby born better sooner than later. Especially early next year so I can have my sexy beach curves back…wherever they are…have you seen them lately?"  
"I'm seeing them right now." Sara let her hands run over the skin of her lover, wished she could do more than just touching her curves, let her hand wander over the body of the woman she loved more than her own life. This soft skin, these slender curves, the long blonde hair, the deep blue eyes, the imagine of a perfect woman and she was all hers. To say, she hit jackpot with being Sofia's lover was a huge understatement.   
"You're drooling."  
"I wish I could do more than just look at you. You're so beautiful I want you, I want my hands on and in you, want to make you come, come with you…and all I can do is dream of it, remember how it was. Last night."   
"Such a long time ago." The blonde pulled her lover down, kissed her. "Why don't you let me refresh your mind?"  
"Because we won't have sex until you're allowed to have sex again. This is not a one way street, we either have both the pleasure to come or none of us will come."  
"You're damn strict on this one."  
"So would you if you were in my shoes."  
"Maybe."  
"Next year…we two…only the two of us. It will be your fortieth birthday, we need something special."  
"We didn't do anything special for your fortieth birthday."  
"No, we had other things on our mind."  
"Yeah, my stupid leg, we should have gone anywhere to celebrate."  
"Well, your parents gave us the trip, it was our special trip to my birthday."  
"True…your fiftieth will be celebrated bigger. Huge party."  
"I prefer something small, with you, our baby. Maybe we can go away…no, we can't, our baby needs to go to school by then, bugger. Or is it a weekend?"  
"I've no idea."  
"Doesn't matter, today is your birthday and we celebrate this. What would you like to do… okay, let me rephrase this, seeing your dirty smirk, what you like to do we're allowed to do?"  
"That reduces it to…shower and breakfast in bed. Or, if that's okay with you: take the dogs to the beach, have breakfast there, stay, enjoy the sunshine, maybe the water -with the feet because I'm not allowed to swim - and pretend we have a summer vacation."   
"Sounds like a great plan. I love being on the beach with you. Will you wear your bikini?"  
"Of course."   
Sara grinned.   
"It's the beach, there are people around, we can't do what you have on your mind - I mean, we can't do it anyway because I might be pregnant with our baby…bugger, I really hate not having my own island, where we can be all alone and I have the permission to sleep with you. One night and I get crazy already. What's wrong with me? I mean, we don't sleep together every night, there are nights - a few - we only sleep. Why is it this hard now?"  
"Because now we have no choice and it's not one night, it's two weeks." The brunette pulled the blonde in her arms. "I think it's a good sign, we're still crazy for each other, other couple live in routines and don't care much about themselves anymore."  
"If that ever happens, just shoot me. I must have lost my mind then and don't want to exist without my brain anymore."  
"I make sure this won't happen. Come on, time to get up so we get breakfast on the beach. The dogs will love this."  
"So do we." Sofia smiled. It was really nice of their bosses to give them today off, so they could celebrate Sofia's birthday on the beach. 

It was good to be on the beach, listen to the sound of the ocean, watching the dogs chasing each other in and around the water while she sat on a blanket, had a hot chocolate and some blueberry bagels. Plus a piece of chocolate cake. Not the worst kind of birthday, considering the fact, she wasn't allowed to drink coffee, alcohol or have a swim in the deep blue water, that practically called her in.   
"I wish I could run around like they do. Every step I take, I worry it's too much for the baby. What if I lose them because I walk too much?" Sofia wondered. Whenever she moved, walked or carried something, she was afraid, it was too much. Doctor Blumfield told her to take it easy.  
"Honey, you heard the doctor, you can't lose the eggs by walking."  
"Yeah, usually. What when I do it anyway?"  
"If women lose the eggs by walking, there weren't any babies on this planet because no woman stays in bed for two weeks to get pregnant. She told you, you can walk, it's not a problem. You went to the police department yesterday, did you feel bad after it?"  
"Only guilty for not sitting on the couch and resting."  
"You did hear what she told us?"  
"Of course and I understood it, but…there's this fear and I feel like being extra careful, which is stupid, I know."  
Sara got her arms around her lover, kissed her. Yes, it was stupid and yet, she understood how the blonde felt. People could tell you a lot, could insist it was all safe, but it was never a hundred percent safe. And they wanted their baby, it was important so it wasn't stupid the blonde felt guilty when she was active, it was normal.   
"Do you think the guys are mad when I don't want to celebrate my birthday? When I only want to be with you on the beach and on the couch tonight, watch a movie and go to bed early?"  
"No, they won't be mad. They come along, sit with us on the couch, watch the movie and enjoy your company."  
"I don't feel like a garden party today."  
"It's okay, we can have a garden party later."  
"Later like when we know we're pregnant?"  
"Sounds like a good reason to celebrate."  
"It is. We have a big birthday party next year. For that night I will allow myself to drink beer, our baby has to live without breastfeeding for a day or two, until the alcohol is out of my system. Or will I get in trouble with my girlfriend when I do this?"  
"No." Sara laughed. She understood Sofia wanted a day off from saying 'no' to all the things she enjoyed. There was so much food for babies, so many babies never got breastfed and developed fine, when the blonde wanted a few beers on her birthday, it was fine.   
"Remember the day in the lab in Vegas, when we talked about babies and breastfeeding, how long you can give milk. You told me about your professor in college, she had a pretty old toddler coming for feeding."  
"It wasn't a toddler anymore, the child was six. We came to the conclusion they keep running as long as let them come. Both, children and breasts."   
"Yeah…a six year old…crazy." The blonde shook her head. "Won't do that with our baby. Half a year, nine months tops."  
"Sounds sensible. And the two days without breastfeeding won't hurt our baby. You can enjoy your birthday the way you want it."  
"I want to drink sparkling wine from your bellybutton in the morning."  
"Sparkling wine as the first alcohol for over a year? I thought you'd take a beer."  
"Good point, maybe I want a beer from your bellybutton…I decide next year. Fact is - and I'm very sure about that - I want you for my birthday."  
"I'll be all yours."  
"Can't wait for that."  
"And the forty."  
"Shut up!"   
Sara laughed. It seems like her lover had a little problem with turning forty. It wasn't bad, it didn't feel any different than thirty-nine, no matter what other people said. And her life just got better when she was forty, in fact, it was better than before.   
"How am I supposed to be a sexy girl when there is a big four in front of the other number?"  
"I wouldn't know, having already a four at the front, I must have forgotten how it was to be young and sexy."  
"You are absolutely sexy and look like thirty-five."  
"It will be the same with you, only thirty-three."  
"Oh, I love you." Sofia kissed the brunette passionately. Wasn't her lover cute? The best she could have asked for.   
"Honey, I plan to spend the rest of my life with you, means at least another fifty years, we'll be both very old, wrinkled and gravity won't be on our side by this time anymore and nevertheless I'm sure, you'll be the most sexy, almost ninety years old grandmother Los Angeles has ever seen. And I'll adore and love you."  
"Can you tell me this every year?"  
"Absolutely." Sara kissed her lover softly. That wasn't a problem, it was exactly what she planed to do. Love and adore her lover for the rest of her life. 

28th of June Wednesday

Getting up early was never easy, it was even harder after two days off, but when you were called in before you finished your breakfast, the day couldn't be good. It was already clear, you would be late for dinner.   
"Good morning my beautiful CSI lady, how are you?" Don smiled when Sofia and Greg came to the crime scene. Why was he happy smiling at this time? His boss must have called him in early too - right out of bed.   
"Why the fuck are you this happy? It's not even seven in the morning, you should be on your way to work and not standing at a crime scene with a smile on your face." Sofia complained. Not only did she miss out her second bagel, she also missed out a couple of kisses from her lover.  
"I smile because the lady on the radio this morning said, whenever you feel like swearing today, smile and it will make your day better. Hey Greg"  
"Hi Mister Sunshine."  
"Does it work?"  
"No, I feel like punching the crap out of somebody, but I'd do it with a smile."  
"Sounds more like I feel now."  
"Are you all right?" Don's eye fell on Sofia's belly. Was it too early for her to go back to work? Was another day at home better? Safer for the baby?   
"Yeah, everything is fine, I'm only not happy to be called in early before I had my breakfast and my second orange juice because coffee is off limits until I know we're pregnant. And when we're pregnant, it will be off limit for the next months…a year. Until baby drinks milk and doesn't need me as a walking milk bar anymore."  
"Wow, I'm impressed."  
"I'm tired. What have you got for us?"  
"Well, for Vegas finest only the…I'd love to say finest or best but I'm afraid I've to go with grossest. Maybe it wasn't that bad you couldn't finish your breakfast at all."  
"Great, I love my job." The blonde took a deep breath and followed Don to a hole in the ground, not deep, maybe two foot. When she looked down, she had to agree, it was good, she didn't finish her breakfast. There were the remains - still with flesh - of a body, that couldn't be older than twelve to fourteen. Most of the body was eaten away by animals. Or she hoped, it were animals.   
Next to her Greg took a deep breath too. "That's really gross. The victim is a child, or barely a teenager."  
"Who found him?" As far Sofia could tell the body was male, but to be absolutely sure, she needed the coroner. They were in one of the less nicer areas, a small road, the body was in what was once a part of a garden.  
"A man and his dog, dog went nuts, started digging, came up with a hand. Guy calls back the dog, calls us and here we are. This is a kid."  
"From how it looks, yes. Where is the coroner?"  
"On her way. You know, this looks like…an animal farm in there."  
"Little busy animals."   
"Bug's heaven." Greg took a closer look at the body and the insects in there. "You know, with the weather, buried in the hole, all the insects, we need our entomologist here."  
"We better pack a nice package for him. This is a bug buffet. All you can name."  
"There are no fingers on the hand." Greg took a photo of the hand, that was out of the hole, so probably the one, the dog dug out.   
"Neither on the other hand…we can rule out suicide, I never heard of somebody digging his own grave, cutting off his fingers and then bury himself before he dies from a loss of blood. Plus, there is no blood around here. He had help - with the grave and the killing. Makes this a murder scene, or the place where the body was dumped."  
"A murder of a boy, who we are not supposed to identify fast. No finger prints, if his DNA isn't in AVIS, we need missing person to help us out."  
"You need a lot of more help than just missing person and our bug man." Don said and closed his phone. "We have around four dozen male teenager under the age of sixteen missing and one of them happens to be the son of the mayor. If this is his son…you do the math."  
"We're in a hell of a case - with all the big names breathing down our neck." Sofia said. Now she didn't want a coffee anymore, she wanted a beer.   
"Exactly."  
"You know, I think we should settle for the best in this case. No matter if this is the son of the mayor, this will go public, big time, because only the possibility that this boy is a VIP son, will make the press very interested." Greg said.   
"We are the best." Sofia said.   
"Yes, but I know somebody who is better than our entomologist."  
She looked at him. Was he serious? Did he really mean, what she thought he meant? Did he think about the same man, she thought of?   
"He isn't a CSI anymore."  
"No, he works at a university and when our boss calls him, we have a chance to get him. He does work criminal cases from time to time."  
"Why would he come here?"  
"You, me. Sara."  
Sofia swallowed. Sara. Yes. She was a very good reason for Grissom to come to Los Angeles. After all, they were engaged and this case, was his chance to get back in contact with her. Something Sofia really hated. 

"Looks like I have my helping hand back." Sara smiled when Stephen came out of her boss's office. It was his first day after he had to spend yesterday in the children's home in his room. A kind of arrest.   
"Yes." He blushed. "Uhm…thanks…"  
"What for?"  
"Getting me back here. Without your help I'd be in prison now."  
"As far as I know, you talked to our boss and made him change his mind. So, are you in the mood for some work? Or will you take off before?"  
"What do you want me to do?"  
"Well, I finish the games for the kids, so you don't have to put up with them anymore. The holidays start next week, people will come here and you have to tell them where everything is. A lot of reading and walking for you in the next days."  
"Sounds good."  
"Better than prison?"  
"Much better. How did you talk the cop into helping me? She said, you told her I'm special and that's why she came and talk to me."  
"Porn barbie cop?"  
His face turned deep red. "She told you?"  
"She tells me everything and if you ever call my girlfriend a porn barbie cop again or offer to have sex with her, I will make sure you will get a cell with the worst guys in prison, after you are back from hospital with various broken bones. Am I clear?"  
"Your girlfriend? Seriously?"  
"After almost two years of being in a relationship it's pretty serious and I don't like it when people hit on her or insult her. In fact, I can't stand anything less than that. Never ever do that again, Stephen."  
"Won't happen again."  
"Good, you'll see her around a few times, you better come up with a good excuse for your behave. She doesn't take shit."  
"I found that out in the room."  
"Okay, then lets move it. We get you all the information leaflets we have about the forest and I tell you about the hiking trails, where they can find toilets, picnic areas, rules of the forest and how to stay away from the possible danger. This is a huge area, we have some wild animals here and not all of them are friendly. The next time you get into the forest, you take one of the ranger with you, because I'm not sure if you can convince a pack of hungry coyotes not to be their lunch with your cute smile. And no, you won't get a gun."  
"I don't like guns."  
"One think we don't have to argue about, very good." Sara started walking towards the information center to get all the information leaflets, maps and other things Stephen needed.   
"Sara?" He stopped and looked at her.  
"Yes?"  
"Why…why did you tell…your girlfriend, I didn't catch her name…?"  
"Sofia."  
"Thanks. Why did you tell Sofia I'm not like all the other loser from the street?"  
"Because you aren't, are you?"  
"No. But how…I mean, we talked for less than five minutes, I acted like an idiot and nevertheless, you told her I'm special."  
"I can see things like that. Now you can prove I was right and act smart and not like an idiot. People are entitled to a second chance in most cases, but when they messed up twice, there aren't many reason for a third chance. In your case, the second is the last."  
"Okay. I…I don't need a third chance."  
"You better not because there won't be a third chance. It's your last chance, make it into something good."  
"I will. Promise."  
"All right. Lets get started to get all the information in your head. You'll dream of hiking trails tonight." Sara smiled. A lot of work was waiting for him. One week to learn the most important rules and things about the forest wasn't much. He had to prove he was a smart kid. 

When Sara's cell phone rang she knew it was not a work related call. She had a special ring tone for her lover. She stopped the car, took the cell phone and stepped out. "Hey Honey, are you having a lunch break?"  
"Kind of. How are you?"  
"I miss you and I have help, thanks to porn barbie cop."  
"He'll pay for it."  
"I told him so. Did you catch a new case?"  
"Yes."  
Sara could hear in the voice of her lover there was a story behind the new case and it was the main reason why she called. Usually they didn't call each other on lunch breaks, only when one of them had something on their chest.   
"Tell me about it."  
"We've got a young DB, half eaten away by bugs and possible son of our mayor. I don't need to tell you what that means. I'm afraid, you'll have dinner without me."  
"We figured that out when they called you in early. I prepare something for you and leave it in the fridge so you can heat it up when you're home."  
"Thanks. I try to get something in the lab, but you know how it is."  
"They're giving you a hard time?"  
"They've just started. Listen…uhm…about the case…Greg had an idea and I…first I didn't like it but the more I think about it, it makes sense. And can help to solve it faster."  
"I can't work the case with you." Sara smiled a little bit.   
"No, no you can't. Unfortunately and believe me, I wish you could be here and work the case with me, but…Greg thinks we should get Grissom to work the case with us."   
"Sounds like a good idea, when the bugs are important, he's your man."  
"He was your man."  
"Honey." Finally Sara realized what the call was about. "He's the past, you're the present and future."  
"I know…it only…it's weird."  
"He can help you out with the case, can take some pressure of you, call him. Don't worry about me, there is no reason to worry."  
"Will you…do you want to meet him when he's here?"  
"Probably. With you and Greg together. A dinner for our Vegas time, nothing more. Like we would do with any other member of our old team."  
"You weren't engaged with any other member."  
"No, but I will marry one as soon as the state of California allows me to do so. She's the one I want to spend my life with."  
Sofia smiled a little bit. "I love you."  
"I love you too and I've no interest in Grissom. There's nothing you have to worry about. You're the only one I love and you're the only one I want to spend the rest of my life with. You and our family. I never wanted a family with him, I want one with you. What does this tell you, Sofia?"  
"You love me more than you ever loved him."  
"Exactly. And if you want, I won't see him while he's here. That's okay, as long as you're happy."  
"No, that's…when he comes here, you should say hello. Everything else would be strange and stupid."  
"Whatever works best for you, Honey."  
"I'm a complicated woman."  
"You're a woman in love, the woman, who loves me and who I love. Nothing complicated about it."  
"Thanks…I guess I better get back to work, there are a couple of hours waiting for me and the mayor and some other important people. I try to get back home as soon as possible and make sure, our baby is safe."  
"Good. And if you want, I can bring you some dinner later."  
"No, I get something, I've no idea when we have time to eat. Love you."  
"Love you more and I'll be awake when you come back. No matter what time."  
"You don't have to."  
"No, but I want to." Sara sent a kiss through the phone before she ended the call. She wished she could hold her girlfriend in her arms. The pressure of the case, if the dead body was really the son of the mayor, her lover would be under pressure during the whole case. And when Grissom really came to L.A. to help them out, it put some extra pressure on the blonde. Not that there was only the slightest possibility that Sara would leave her lover for her ex fiancé, but only the thought of the slightest possibility, no matter how unrealistic it was, could make your life hell. 

"CSI Curtis, CSI Sanders, office. Now!"   
Sofia and Greg looked at each other. They were just back in the lab and were immediately called into the office of their boss. This couldn't be a good sign. Side by side they entered the room.   
"William?"  
"What do you have got on the DB?"  
"We just collected all the evidence of the scene, the body is with the coroner and…"  
"I want answers, Greg. Is this body the son of the mayor?"  
"He matches the description so far. Same height, same possible weight."  
"I don't like your answers and the mayor will hate them."  
"Sorry. Uhm, we could need an expert for the bugs to narrow down TOD and answer some more questions."  
"Call our bug man."  
"Considering this DB might be the son of the mayor we should go for the best and with all due respect to our bug man, he isn't the best. There's a much better one, working in Vegas and he might be available."  
"What makes him better than our man?"  
"Just google doctor Gilbert Grissom and you know what I mean."  
"Doctor Grissom? The head of the Las Vegas crime lab? I met him a few times on congresses and advanced training."  
"Former, now working for the university and several other institutions. As an expert."  
"And we get him here because you're old friends?"  
"Friends, colleagues, because he is the best and the mayor wants the best. Get him, he can help us and he'll take a lot of pressure of you and all of us here, when the DB is the son of the mayor."   
"Sofia, what do you think?"  
"He's…he's the best."  
"Okay, I try to get him. Meanwhile, you get your asses into the lab, work the case and get me and the mayor answers. He will be here any minute, dropping off an toothbrush of his son, work on the DNA, get us answers and find out, who killed this kid."  
"Yes Sir."  
"Nobody goes home until we have answers and one of you will meet me with the mayor. Out!"   
They left the office. "Do you feel already the pressure?" Greg asked.   
"I feel pressure and a lot of trouble coming up while I see our off duty time vanishing far, far away."  
"You should take your breaks."  
"That's not what our boss said."  
"No, but your doctor would tell you to do so. There might be a baby settling in and you're not supposed to have a lot of pressure and heavy work within the next two weeks. Don't ruin your dream for the job. It's not worth it."  
"Again, tell the boss."  
"I will if he insists on you working too hard. Sara will kill me if I let anything happen to you and the baby. So, you get into the lab, work in the evidence, I take the meeting with the mayor and our boss."  
"Thanks." She smiled.   
"Hey, I want to be a godfather next year, so I do everything I can to make sure you're pregnant. Well…not like it sounds now…you know what I mean."  
"I do." Sofia laughed. "Thanks."  
"Does Sara know we want Grissom here?"  
"Yes, I told her."  
"And she told you, she loves you and you don't have to worry."  
"Are you taking lessons from your fiancé?" Or was she this easy to read? If so, it was good she wasn't a cop anymore. Every suspect could play her.   
"No, I'm just good. Go, take it easy and take your breaks, eat the healthy stuff Sara packed for you. Otherwise you'll be in trouble with your girlfriend and that's worse than being in trouble with our boss."  
"True." Sofia sighed. She thought a lot about the babies or baby that might be about to find a place in her womb to settle in and become one or two living babies. Their babies. And their wish to have a baby was highest priority. At least for her. 

"Fourteen hours, that's almost a double." Sara pulled Sofia in her arms when the blonde came into the living room, greeted by her dogs.   
"Sorry, I couldn't come home earlier."  
"Don't be sorry." The brunette pushed the blonde down. "Sit, did you eat?"  
"A little bit around six."  
"I get you dinner, we left you a plate."  
"Thanks. I can get it myself."  
"No, you sit down and relax. Two days ago you didn't want to walk to the kitchen and get yourself a bowl of ice cream, now you worked fourteen hours and don't want to rest. It's not what the doctor ordered."  
"I didn't overwork myself, Greg made it clear, that he rather fights with our boss about me taking enough breaks than risking his godchild."  
"He's protecting you? I'm proud of him, being a dad is very good for him."  
"He takes care of me, protects the unborn child, like he did with Jules."   
"I'm glad he's on the case with you."  
"So am I. And, there'll be another man you know on the case with me by tomorrow."  
"Grissom."  
"Yes. My boss called him, got him into taking the case and he'll arrive tomorrow morning, stays until the case is closed. I bet the mayor wanted him here."  
"You're still not happy about him in the same city I am."  
"Old feelings die hard."  
"My feelings for Grissom died years ago, there is a reason why I left him and Vegas and one reason was, I didn't feel the way for him I used to. And I didn't go back to Vegas because I didn't want to be involved with him anymore. There are no feelings for Grissom anymore, there are no reasons to fear, I could go back to him."  
"I'm stupid."  
"No, you're unsure, which is unusual for you and your super-ego." Sara smiled a bit, went into the kitchen to put the plate with Sofia's dinner into the microwave. "I've to admit." She continued when she was back in the living room. "It's interesting to see you like this. Makes me want to pull you in my arms all the time and kiss you."  
"I wouldn't mind some kisses."  
"Not?" The brunette sat down, pulled the blonde in her arms and kissed her passionately. "I love you."  
"Even when I'm stupid?"  
"You're not stupid, I told you already."  
"And yet I can't get the thought out of my head about you and Grissom. You meeting him, falling back in love with him and…leave me." Sofia swallowed and felt ashamed when felt there were tears coming up her eyes. Great, first she was a jealous idiot and now she started to cry. How bad could this go?   
"I love you, only you. Nobody else."  
"And I'm making a fool out of myself."  
"We can blame it on the hormones."  
"I'm not that pregnant - if I'm pregnant at all after two days."  
"Doesn't matter, we blame the hormones. And now I get your dinner, you can eat, leaning in my arms, while we watch the news, kiss after every bite and then go to bed - not having sex because we're not allowed to have sex for the next two long weeks."  
"Never-ending two weeks." The blonde sighed. "Not only because of the sex thing."  
"Two weeks until we know if you're pregnant. Twelve days left."  
"Two hundred-ninety hours."  
"When you're pregnant twelve days will feel like a blink of time compared to the nine month. No coffee, no beer."  
"I so don't care that I can't have a beer for nine months, can't go out dancing or do other crazy things, all I want is being pregnant, have us a family and be happy with you."  
"Baby or not, I love and you make me happy. And even if we'll never have a baby, we'll have us and that's worth more than anything else." Sara kissed Sofia again and pulled her even deeper in her arms. Her girlfriend, her lover, the life. The only one for her. 

"Are you working early tomorrow?" Sofia snuggled deeper into Sara's arms, kissed her throat and closed her eyes. She was exhausted, ready to sleep but didn't want to end the day without a conversation with her lover. They barely had time for each other.   
"Yes, this week is early, next week late. My boss let me take the day off you have the next doctor appointment."  
"Ten days, I hope by then we've wrapped up the case and are back to normal so I can have a day off too."  
"You'll have the case wrapped up by then, you're the best CSI, have a great former lab rat with you, I can't see a reason why you shouldn't be working another case by then."  
"We have a bug man too."  
"The best."  
"Yes…and I won't get jealous anymore. I hope."  
"You will never have a reason." Sara kissed her lover. "Do you feel anything? Strange? Pregnant? Different? The doctor said you might feel something."  
"No, I'm too tired to feel anything. I read about all the possible signs, what I can feel, what can change and I'm afraid, at one point I will have all symptoms together, just because I wish so much I'm pregnant."  
"If it doesn't work this time, it will work next time. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. That can't be good for our baby."  
"When I'm pregnant, will you bring me breakfast to bed whenever we have a day off?"  
"Honey, you'll be pregnant and not ill. Pregnant women can walk…unless they look like Jules in her last week."  
"If you call me fat at one point…"  
"I never called her fat!"  
"You didn't use these words, but asking if she's pregnant with a football team is the same like calling her fat."  
"I'll ask you if you're pregnant with a basketball team."  
"Not much better!"   
"You prefer basketball over football." Sara pulled the blonde on top of her. "And I so much want you now. It's more than hard to do nothing else than kissing you."  
"You can't have me, you can only let me have you."  
"No, we've been through this and as long as I can't sleep with you, you won't sleep with me. Twelve more days."  
"And you threatened me not to have sex with me while we I'm pregnant. I can see now how good it will work out."   
"Not at all."  
"That gives my ego a huge boost."  
"My smug and arrogant girlfriend is back. The way I like you best. Miss Sofia Arrogance Curtis."   
"You mean, the woman you love, the perfect woman, is in your arms."  
"Didn't I say this?" The brunette chuckled.   
"Not in American English but in Sara English. Lucky for you I'm fluent in Sara English, almost a native speaker."  
"I give you some more lessons, lets try it with kissing and tongue training." The brunette pulled the head of the blonde closer and kissed her. 

29th of June Thursday

"Do I deserve a chocolate bar for breakfast?" Sofia put away her empty bowl. She had cereals, she had fruits, now she could treat herself with something more…delicious.   
"Chocolate for breakfast? For everybody else this should be enough proof of pregnancy, knowing my chocoholic girlfriend, it's only your endless lust for sweet cocoa."  
"The only pleasure I'm allowed to have at the moment."  
"You poor thing." Sara pulled her lover in her arms and kissed her. "Get your chocolate bar, you'll have a long hard day. Want me to come over after my shift, get you some dinner and force you into a break? And no, I don't offer to come around to see Grissom. I want to have dinner with you, only you. No Grissom, not even Greg. Only you and I."  
"I'm not the easiest girlfriend at the moment, am I?"  
"Honey, you've always been a challenge, a reason why I wanted you. I love challenges and I love you. Meat lover pizza with extra cheese and a triple chocolate cookie?"  
"Two." Sofia smiled.   
"Okay, two. Anything else?"  
"A couple of kisses."  
"Are you sure you want kisses after you had chocolate and pizza?"  
Instead of an answer the blonde pulled the brunette into her arms and kissed her. "Do you want to ask this question again or did you understand my answer?"  
"I think I missed half of it, could you repeat it for me?" Sara smirked and got pulled back in another kiss. The kiss got broken by the blonde's cell phone ringing.   
"There was a time when we didn't have cell phones and could actually have a private life. The next time we go on holidays, can we leave our cell phones here?"   
"Absolutely."   
"Thanks." The blonde picked up her phone. "Curtis."  
"Time to leave your girlfriend, the boss called and wants us in early. Apparently our expert will arrive in thirty minutes and we're supposed to welcome him." Greg's voice came out of the cell phone.   
"Great, can't wait."  
"Liar. Give Sara a good morning kiss from me."  
"Dream on." She closed her phone. "We've to get in early to greet your ex. Oh and your young admire wants me to kiss you from him. Do you want to tell me anything about you and Greg?"  
"We danced with the same woman last week. You know, who didn't want to dance with you because you're not her type."  
Sofia's eyes narrowed. "Careful, Honey. Don't tease me too much."  
"Just playing with your ego."  
"My ego doesn't like being played."  
"I'll feed it with chocolate tonight. Go and welcome Grissom and give me a call where I can meet you tonight for our private dinner."  
"Not in the building if that's possible, I let you know. Take care of all the cute animals and make sure, your helper doesn't cause any trouble anymore."  
"He's as tame as a kitten."  
"When he wants to sit on your lap and asks you to crawl him, I shoot him."  
"You're the porn barbie, he wanted to do a bunch of illegal things with you."  
"As soon as I've some time on my hands I come into the forest and make him sweat."  
"I told him to prepare himself for that meeting. So much like your mother, amazing." Sara pulled Sofia once in again in her arms and kissed her one more time. "Take care of my CSI and our baby."  
"No heavy lifting, breaks and not too much stress, got it. And so has Greg. See you tonight. Love you."  
"Love you too." 

"Doctor Grissom."   
"CSI Curtis, how are you?"  
"Fine, thanks. How is your new life?" Okay, it was awkward to talk to Grissom, but it wasn't bad.   
"Very interesting. And yours? Back to CSI."  
"There wasn't much of a choice."   
"I heard about the accident, it's been a little bit over a year."  
"Yeah, not a thing I celebrated. Better things have happened in my life." Like meeting Sara, falling in love with the brunette and having the brunette falling in love with her. Things, she didn't have to mention, but she had the feeling, he understand her when she said these things. But it wasn't fair in case he missed Sara and how could you not miss Sara?   
"I bet. And where's the guy, who played music in the lab?"  
"With the boss, he's the leading CSI on this case."  
"Really? I thought you as a former acting supervisor are superior."  
"Greg worked the last years as a CSI, he can teach me a few things. During my time as a cop I didn't pay a lot of attention at what's new in the lab and around. He's a very good teacher, a very good leading CSI."  
"I'm glad to hear that. What do you have for me?"  
"A collection of bugs and a lot of questions. And pressure."  
"I heard the kid might be the son of the mayor."  
"Yes." And Sofia would talk to the mayor later. Nothing she looked forward to do but Greg would go back to the crime scene and wanted her here so she could rest. How could she argue about this? Not even the argument, she didn't feel very comfortable around Grissom was a reason to risk her baby.   
"Then we better get started."   
"Follow me." She took him into a layout room and showed him where the bugs were left for him.   
"Nice collection."  
"I thought you'd like them. Can they tell us when the boy died?"  
"They can tell us a lot of things, we have to make them talk."  
"Your job. Enjoy. Uhm, the crime scene photos are on the computer, I wrote down a guest password for you, so you can see all the evidence we have so far. Within the next hours we should get the result of the DNA test and know, if the boy was really the son of the mayor. Even when he's not the DB, the mayor will want us to find his son, so we'll kind of work two cases maybe."  
"Don't we like challenges?"  
Only when the challenge was her girlfriend - his former girlfriend. Not when the challenge included a lot of pressure.   
"Kind of. Uhm, give me a call when you need something."  
"I will."  
"Talk to you later." She turned and left the room before he could ask any more questions.; like how Sara was. At the moment she wasn't ready to talk with him about the brunette. The first hours had to be strictly work related, everything else would mess up her feelings. And she needed a clear head.   
"Curtis!" She stopped. Her boss must have seen her before she could escape in a room and work on the evidence.   
"Yes boss?"  
"The mayor is here to answer your question and I hope, you can answer some of his questions too. Sanders is out at the scene."  
"Okay." Damn, she had hoped for a few more minutes alone. Why was Greg already gone? With her case folder she stepped into the room, where her boss and the mayor sat.   
"Good morning mayor Milford. I'm CSI Curtis."  
"Do you have any news?"  
"Not regarding the DNA of the body we found, the DNA guy will inform us as soon as he has the results, we have a rush on everything related to this case. The entomologist arrived and started working a minute ago, he's the best.   
"Did you find any clothes or anything related to the body at the scene?"  
"No sir."  
"If this is my son, I want to know who did this to him and I want you to find him so we can give him what he deserves."  
"Yes Sir." She cleared her throat. "Can you tell me why your son ran away?"   
"Because I took away his smart phone and the laptop after I caught him smoking in the garden. He's twelve."  
"Where did he get the cigarettes from?"  
"He stole them from me."  
Sofia saved herself the comment it was pretty hypocritical to punish the son for something, the father did; even when it wasn't illegal for him. He was the role model, when he smoked in front of his son, how could the son believe, it's wrong?   
"Okay, what happened then?"  
"I sent him to his room, without dinner and the next morning he was gone."  
"Did he leave a note?"  
"No, but he stole my credit card and all the cash my wife and me had in our wallets."  
"How much?"  
"A little bit under thousand dollar. We disabled the credit card."  
"Wow, that's a lot of money for a twelve year old boy. What did his friends say?"  
"Apparently he never contacted them, but I'm pretty sure they're lying. It is possible he hides at a friend's place, wasting all the money and comes back when he's broke."  
"Don't you think the parents of his friends would say something?"  
"I'm sure if he hides somewhere, they have no clue about it. He could stay in a garden house, a holiday house and the parents aren't aware of this. Brandon is full of ideas and it's not the first time he ran away. But so far he came back the next morning, hungry and tired. Then again, he never had a thousand dollar with him."  
"What did he wear when he left?"  
"It was in the night, my wife and me were asleep, I've no idea what he wore."  
"Well, which clothes are missing?"  
"I've no idea, you have to ask my wife. Or the housekeeper."  
To Sofia it didn't sound like the mayor put a lot of effort in finding his son so far. He didn't call the police the next morning, didn't look too much into details about the possible runaway and still wanted them to bend over backwards and come up with answers to questions, he never asked.  
"I'll do that. If I have any more questions or get new information, I contact you." She got up, walked out of the room and took a deep breath. That wasn't as bad as she expected although she had to say, she didn't like the mayor. He didn't seem to worry a lot about his son - until they found the DB. Well, time for Greg and her to get answers. First stop: the housekeeper. Maybe she cared more about the boy's disappearance than the father.   
Lost in her thoughts and making plans for the morning, what to do when, she bumped into somebody.   
"Sorry, I…wow." She knew this guy and he wasn't a cop or CSI.   
"Well hello, if that isn't the beautiful lady I met at the bar once. How have you been? I hope you're not in trouble."  
"No, I work here. Are you in trouble, Mister Lee?"  
"Lou, please. Can I invite you to a coffee?"  
"Sorry, as I said, I work here. What are you doing here?"  
"Support a friend."  
"A friend?"  
"The mayor."  
"Wow, powerful friend."  
"Just another man. If you're on duty now, what about a drink after work?"  
"This is a big case, there is no after work."  
"Ouch. Okay, one last try: next week, premiere ticket to the new movie I'm in. The new Kodak Theater, what do you think?"  
"I think if you make that two tickets so I can take my better half with me, we can have a drink."  
"The same date, who made you leave me at the bar the first time we met?"  
"The hot brunette, yes."  
"No more questions, I can understand you prefer dating her than me. To where can I sent the tickets?"  
"The CSI lab."  
"What about your private address?"  
"Why? Do you want to deliver them yourself?"  
"Would it surprise you?"  
"Yes."  
"Let me surprise you."  
"Nice try. I see you at the premiere." She blinked at him and walked away. Lou Lee flirted with her. Again. That was a great boost for her ego, the best moment of the morning. Next to everything that was related to Sara of course. 

The brunette herself was in the forest with Stephen, not aware her lover had organized them a date. They were on a favorite hiking path, preparing it for the first summer holidays weekend.  
"Are we going to do this the whole day?" Stephen asked, lifting another empty can off the floor.   
"Get used to it, it's the main part of your job."  
"Great. I look forward to this summer, being a garbage guy. Wahoo."  
"Could be worse, couldn't it?"  
"Like sitting in prison and do stupid work behind bars? True, at least I'm outside, in fresh air and can drink real coke; when I get the money from our dragon in the children's house. How much do they pay again in prison?"  
"Not enough to make up for being caged."  
"True." He emptied his bucket with garbage in a big bag. "How often do you do this?"  
"Every now and then. I started as a part of the forest patrol team, being a former CSI, having a license to carry a gun, but it wasn't what I wanted. I didn't want to work with criminals anymore, I wanted something new so I worked myself up to be a full ranger, give tours to people, entertain children. For some people it might sound like a step back, to me it's exactly what I want."  
"Did you work with Sofia together? Was that how you met?"  
"Yes and no. We met in Vegas, where we worked together. First as CSI, then she changed back to be a detective. When we met again in Los Angeles, she was still a cop. It wasn't until last year that she became a CSI again."  
"She didn't like being a cop anymore?"  
"She loved it, still loves it. But her leg didn't let her work the streets anymore and like somebody else I know, she prefers being outside than inside a building the whole day." Sara smiled a bit.   
"I noticed her left leg…was it…work related? Sorry, that I ask all these questions." He said carefully, realizing, he asked a lot of personal question and Sara might not like that. Or didn't want to talk about what happened to her girlfriend, as it wasn't a good memory.  
"It's okay. Yes, it was work related, she was one of the officers, who responded first to the shooting at the Hollywood and Highland Center last year. When she tried to get into a better location to shoot the shooters, the building blew up, she got pushed through the air and a huge part of broken glass almost separated her lower left leg from the rest. Literally, she got into hospital the last minute. Otherwise she had died due to the loss of blood. The next days she had been in coma, fought for her life and lost this fight almost."  
"Shit. I'm sorry."  
"Not your fault. It took her a few days to come out of coma and even longer to accept her new life. It's still hard, to realize, your dream is over and you can't do anything to have it back."  
"I bet that wasn't easy. For both of you. A lot of things changed for you too, not only for her. This accident had a big impact on your life too."  
"The accident never changed my feelings to her, I love her, no matter what."  
"And she doubted your feelings first, thought you were only sorry."  
"Yes. It was a rough time, we got through it and it made us stronger. Life isn't easy, but when you want to have a nice life, you have to fight for it."  
"There's no guarantee you win."  
"No, but you can't win if you don't try."  
"That's why we battle the garbage in the forest, a job that will never be done because every day people dump their garbage, leave their picnic leftovers behind, ignoring the garbage cans and we can't be everywhere. How much do you have to pay when you get caught leaving your rubbish behind?"  
"It is more than the coke at the vending machine, don't try it." She laughed. "Save your money for the coke or a date."  
"We're not allowed to date."  
"Not? Why is that?"  
"Because it's against the rules. Strictly boys only building, no going out after six in the evening, when you're sixteen you can stay out until eight. What kind of dates ends this early? If the girl isn't running away because you're a loser in a children's home, she'll laughs at you for going home at five."  
"Sounds like you don't like the place."  
"How could I? It's like prison, only worse because it's been years I'm in there; without doing anything wrong."  
"What happened to your parents? If you want to talk about it."  
"They died when I was five. My aunt took me to her place, I was too wild for her, she sent me into the children's home. Two other families tried their luck with me, it never worked out and since four years I'm a permanent resident there. Nobody wants a fourteen year old boy. Too much trouble. If somebody comes to get a child, they want a young one. One you can try to form the way you want him."  
"Are they fair to you? In the children's home?"  
"Well…what is fair? They don't punch the crap out of you unless you give them a good reason."  
"They slap you?"  
"We have one…watchdog, who has a reputation for losing his temper quite fast. When he's around you better stick to the rules. It's not like people care, to them, we're the bad ones, who need a firm hand."  
"Bullshit."  
"You sent a former cop to get my head straight." He smiled a bit.   
"Only because I wasn't allowed to get into the room myself and kick your ass." She blinked at him.   
"Because you're the bad ass one and she was the nice one?"  
"Mean people might have said so."  
"I bet you were a great team when you worked together."  
"We closed some cases."  
"And could talk about them after work."  
"We weren't together at that time. No after work drinks, no conversation about cases."  
"New city, new life."  
"Yes. Sometimes changes are good. Like our job change. Lets get rid off the garbage and turn to something nicer: walking trails."  
"They are definitely better than garbage." He said, knowing it wouldn't take long until he was back picking up garbage. But, better than being in prison. 

"Good morning Mrs. Milford, I am CSI Curtis. I spoke to your husband earlier…" Sofia introduced herself when she was guided to the wife of the mayor by a butler, whose name was - what a surprise - James.   
"Is the boy you found our son?"  
"We don't know yet, DNA is still pending. May I come in, ask a few question, look at your son's room?"  
"Sure. Brandon's room is up the stairs, left hand side, first door. Can Marcia get you something to drink?"  
"No, thanks. But I'd like to talk to Marcia too, your husband told me, she can tell me, if there are any clothes missing so we know, what he wore."  
"I send her up to you. Sure you don't want any cold drinks?"  
"Yes. Thanks." Sofia took her kit and walked up the stairs. Flashy house, three levels, white stone walls, wooden windows. Inside there were more white stones, heavy dark wooden furniture and expensive looking paintings. In the middle of the stairs was a thick red carpet, that silenced the blonde's steps.   
Ignoring the other rooms and the decoration, she went to the boy's room.   
"Wow." This looked like her own room when she was twelve. It was a mess. There were books, video games, magazines, empty wraps of candy bars, bottles and everything else on the floor. "What happened to the housekeeper?" It didn't surprise her to find a boy's room like this, but the housekeeper should do a better job. Or wasn't she responsible for the room of the boy?   
"Mrs. Milford said you want to talk to me?" A woman in her late fifties, Hispanic, stood behind her. "I'm Marcia."  
"CSI Curtis. What happened to this room?"  
"That's Brandon's way of cleaning up. Usually I'd it for him, but his parents insisted on leaving it the way it is, so he cleans it himself. As a punishment for running away."  
"Throw it all on the floor so you can see what you need immediately. I know this way of tidying up. Can you tell me what is missing from this room? What clothes?"  
"I have the laundry I washed after he ran away in the laundry room, to have an idea what he wore when he ran away, I've to look at his wardrobe."  
"Okay, please have a look."  
Marcia stepped into the room, carefully not to step on any of the things on the floor and walked to the wardrobe. Inside it was the same mess than on the floor. Shirts were tossed from one shelf to the other, pants lay on the ground, legs inside out, she couldn't say if these clothes were all clean or if some were used too.   
"How can you tell if something is missing in this chaos?"  
"When you know Brandon, you know what you're looking for." Marcia searched a couple of black shirts, count them, shifted her attention to more colorful shirts. "He wore his favorite 501 washed out blue jeans and a neon green shirt, with a neon pink skateboard on front. To tell you which socks he wore, it will take a little bit longer, but I can tell you, he wore white Nike shoes with neon green stripes. His favorite shoes. I also can't see his black Iron Maiden jacket, he must have taken this one too. And his sleeping bag is missing."  
"Wow, you're good. It took you less than a minute."  
"I work here since twenty years, I know the family, know what they prefer to wear, where they leave it. I tidy up this room since Brandon is a baby, when things aren't on the floor, the laundry or in the wardrobe, they are not here."  
"Do you have idea to where he could have ran?"  
"No." The eyes of the housekeeper became sad. "I thought first he ran to his best friend, Andrew, but according to Andrew and his parents, he was never there. He's only twelve, where can a twelve year old boy go? He can't book a room in a motel, the only place to sleep is on the streets and that's not safe."  
"You know why he ran?"  
"Because his father took away his smart phone and laptop. Nowadays it's the biggest punishment for kids. When I was little, my brothers got punished by being grounded for a day or two. Now kids don't have to leave their room anymore to be connected with the world and their friends. It seems more like they can't handle to live in a world without electronic stuff. Or when was the last time you saw two teenager sitting together, talking without one looking at the phone all the time?"  
"Must have been a while."  
"I think, the worlds moves closer and closer together, but our lives moves further and further away."  
"So the Milford family doesn't spend a lot of time together?"  
"No. Mister Milford is busy at work, Mrs. Milford spends a lot of time on charity work and has her own office, she's a lawyer."  
"Sounds like there's not much time for Brandon."  
"Brandon has his own obligations."  
"A twelve year old kid isn't a fan of obligations."  
"A twelve year old boy isn't a fan of anything his parents tell him to do."  
"True."  
"Mister Milford said, you found a dead body…is it Brandon?"  
"We don't know yet. There are a couple of missing boys, who fit the profile, DNA has to confirm."  
"In TV it's always so fast."  
"TV isn't reality. We can't have a commercial and get the results afterwards. It's not working this way. Like you haven't finished the whole house after a commercial and sit down with coffee and cookies for the rest of the day."  
"No."  
"Can you tell me anything, that might help us to find Brandon?"  
"If he isn't the boy you found yesterday? No. He never talked to me. If his friends don't know where he is, then nobody knows. Only the Lord."  
Sofia was afraid the Lord wasn't available for an interview, so she had to do the work on her own. Or hope her colleague came up with anything helpful. 

"Your boy died around five days ago, that's what the bugs tell me." Grissom said to Sofia when she came back to the lab. "And he was the son of the mayor."  
"Your bugs tell you this as well?" She sipped on the orange juice, she had bought on her way in. A coffee would be great now, but not an option. Nine more days - or nine more months plus the breastfeeding time.   
"No, your DNA man said so. Greg is with your boss, he didn't look too happy. Both didn't."  
"Damn it." Their DB was Brandon Milford. Now they had all the pressure, they didn't want. She was sure, the mayor was on his way to the lab, if he wasn't already here.   
"Do we have a COD?"  
"I haven't talked with your coroner, that's not what I'm here for. What I can tell you is, when the bugs got to him, he was already dead. And you remember the taller black bugs?"  
"No." Bugs weren't her world, she caught them, but she didn't take closer looks at them.   
"They're a special breed, really hungry, really fast eater. I haven't seen them around, but heard from Catherine, she had a case not too land ago, with similar bugs involved. You might want to call D.B. Russell."  
"Who is that? Another bug expert?"  
"No, the new head of the CSI graveyard shift in Vegas. He might be able to pass some information over to us."  
"Why not call Catherine? And why isn't she the head of graveyard? She had been second in line long enough, deserves the promotion. And I think Greg said she's the supervisor when he worked there and came over for a visit."  
"She doesn't work as a CSI anymore. The FBI made her an offer, she couldn't refuse."  
"Seriously?" Meant, from their old nightshift team, the only ones who were still there, were Nick and Brass.   
"You haven't been in touch with any of the guys back there?"  
"No. not in a while…I'm surprised Greg didn't tell me. Or he doesn't know, the last months were kind of busy for him. Maybe he didn't stay in touch with Nick."  
"Neither did Sara, I assume."  
There was the topic, she wanted to avoid. When he mentioned Sara's name, Sofia's guts tightened and she felt like, she was about to throw up. Didn't his voice turn softly when he mentioned her name? Wasn't there a hint of love, desire and hope? Did he came here because he hoped, he could get Sara back? Or was Sofia only overreacting?   
"No."  
"How is she?"  
"Good, really fine. She loves her new life as a ranger." And with me as her lover, somebody, who loves her more than anything else, who would never let her leave the city, would give up her whole life only to be with the brunette. Not like you, who put his work above the relationship.   
"I bet she does. She's coming here often?"  
"No." Not often but today. Not to see you, only for her, Sofia. Nobody else.  
"It would be nice to meet when we have some time."  
"Yeah…with Greg, a little team reunion." Sofia squeezed her hands together to a fist. She had to get out of here. Fast. "I call this Russell guy, or leave a message for him to call Greg or me. Later." Yes, it was more a flight than a walk out the room, she was aware of that. But she had to get him out of her eyes, otherwise she might turn into a woman, she never wanted to be - one, who scratched the eyes out of the ex of her lover. 

"Is it a break or can you come home with me?" Sara asked when Sofia sat down next to her on the blanket. The blonde had told the brunette to meet her in a little park not too far away from the CSI lab.   
"A break. Our boss wants more answers before we're allowed to go home. Sorry." Sofia bent over and kissed her lover.   
"The first break today?"  
"No, I had two other breaks, fresh orange juice, a banana and some pineapple slices. All healthy, don't worry."  
"You look tired."  
"We didn't get many good news today. The dead boy is Brandon Milford, the son of our mayor. DNA confirmed it. The mayor is at the department, not happy, giving everybody a hard time, putting pressure on us."  
"Shit."  
"Comes with the job."  
"COD?"  
"He was strangled to death. So far we believe, the place where we found the body, wasn't the place he was killed. So we need to find the primary crime scene and your ex just gave us some information, that made the case even more complicated. Some of the bugs weren't just bugs, they were a kind of meat loving super bugs. Apparently similar bugs appeared in Vegas a couple of months ago, in a case, the crime lab and the FBI was involved…did you know, Catherine isn't working as a CSI anymore? It looks like only Nick and Brass are left of the old team. I talked to the new guy, a DB Russell, to get information about their case and their bugs. Who becomes a CSI when you're called DB?"  
"Honey, are you trying to settle a world record in new putting information in one breath? Slow down." Sara pulled her lover in her arms.   
"Sorry, it's all…in my mind and I never had the chance to get it out today."  
"Okay, lets start at the beginning. The primary crime scene will be a tough one, from what you told me, you don't have a lot of evidence of the body, and the bugs came to the body after he was dumped. Special bugs, that eat faster sounds like somebody planed the killing, you might want to ask the mayor, if there were any threads against him and his family recently.   
No, I had no idea Catherine doesn't work as a CSI anymore, it's been a while I've been in touch with her or anybody else from Las Vegas. I wonder what kind of job the FBI offered her. We should call her, ask how she is. And I think DB is short for something…but it's an interesting name for a crime scene investigator."  
"You should be a CSI." Sofia sighed. "All these instincts, all these knowledge. We could need you; I need you."  
"I'm not available for the lab, but I'm all yours."  
"Your…Grissom wants to see you. Wants to have dinner with you."  
"Does this surprise you?"  
"No, but it makes me angry. And jealous. And a lot of other stupid feelings, I shouldn't have. At one point I felt like strangling him and feed him to these super bugs."  
"Honey, what happened to your super ego? It should tell you, Grissom has no chance against you. We need to get you an ego boost."  
"I got one this morning…that reminds me, we're invited to a premiere next week. Lou Lee will leave tickets for us at the lab."  
"Who is Lou Lee?" Sara furrowed her brows.   
"The actor. Malibu? The bar? Our date. The man, who wanted to have dinner with me?"  
"Oh, this guy. Where did you meet him?"  
"He's a friend of the mayor and was at the lab to support him."  
"Means, there were cameras, they'll grieve together and he gets points for the election next year."  
"Honey, he lost his son."  
"I know and I feel sorry for him, but when you ask your famous friend to come over and support you, you know it draws attention to you. Where was his wife? The boy was gone for a couple of days, why didn't they call police earlier? Asked the public for support? Why did the boy ran away at all?"  
"Because his dad caught him smoking - dad smokes himself - and took away his laptop and smart phone. Brandon stole almost a thousand dollar and the credit card from his parents before he took off. Maybe he wanted to buy a new smart phone and laptop from the money. We can't follow the trace of the credit card, the parents disabled it the next morning, he never used it."  
"Believing his parents let him keep the new electric toys? Or believe, he spent the money in one night and don't punish him even more for running away and stealing?"  
"I've no idea what was going in his mind. The father couldn't tell me much about his son, the housekeeper had more information. I'm afraid the Milford family isn't such a happy family at all. Or, wasn't such a happy family when Brandon was home. And I'm sure the mayor wants us to keep this information away from the public."  
"Probably. A father, who didn't call the police first thing in the morning, after he found out his son is gone, doesn't look good. Most people won't understand this, won't agree with his way of handling everything. It makes him look like a man, who doesn't care about his family. He will lose a lot of votes."   
Sofia closed her eyes. Politics were worse than lawyers, politics thought they were above the law, were the law. She wished, she could go home with Sara, instead she had to go back to the lab in a few minutes. Time ran so fast when her lever was with her. They had barely touched the food Sara brought.   
"If you want to quit your job and become a mall cop, do it. I love you anyway and will come shopping at your shopping center every week."  
"A mall cop? Are you nuts?" The blonde opened her eyes and starred at her lover. She had to be kidding her. A mall cop. That was no option.   
"No, just trying to get you into a more relaxing job. Les pressure, no politics, no dead bodies. Hopefully."  
"By sending me into early retirement? No way! I want real crime scenes. Imagine my mother, when we tell her, I work in a shopping mall. She'll die of a heart attack. No Curtis cop ever worked in a shopping mall. Never! Not even after they were retired. Some things are just not possible."  
"Family pride, huge egos, the family of my lover is really interesting and strange at the same time."  
"You love your in-laws, you love me, stop complaining. Where is my dessert? Didn't you mention chocolate cookies? I want my dessert."  
"Sits next to you."  
The blonde pulled the brunette in her arms and kissed her. "You can't be my dessert at the moment, but believe me, as soon as these two weeks are over, I will lock us in our bedroom and we won't be available for anybody until the next morning! No matter what the doctors says. And no matter what is going on outside our room."  
"Shall we get the next day off? In case we're not done with one night. After all, we have to make up for two long weeks."  
"Good idea. Will your boss give a day off?"  
"I'm sure. He asked me to work only in the morning because that's the time Stephen is around and I'm his personal ranger."  
"How is he? Is the job okay for him?"  
"Yes, better than prison. We talked about you today. When he's not trying to impress somebody with this over cool male acting a lot of boys in his age show, he's a good talker and listener."  
"Good. As soon as this case is closed I come over and pay him a visit. See how he is doing."  
"Get your apologies for acting stupid."  
"That too." Sofia's cell phone rang. "Bugger. I need to get back to the lab, Greg is calling. I bet our boss wants to see me."  
"Say hello to William, he should treat you good, let you rest and look after you, like any good boss should do."  
"At the moment he looks after his job and tries to calm the mayor down."  
"They mayor should rethink his own action, or the action he didn't take. It's not your fault his son is dead, but he could have stopped him from running away."  
"I tell this the mayor and I can say goodbye to my job. So we keep this between us."  
"Okay." Sara kissed her girlfriend. "Go, I see you later when you're home. Will wait for you."  
"Don't stay up too long."  
"I can't sleep without you next to me. You're my heroine, who chases away nightmares and bad dreams."  
"I try to be back ASAP." Sofia smiled. She couldn't let Sara wait forever, that wasn't what a good girlfriend did. 

30th of June Friday

Another early day after a late night, Sofia's mood wasn't the best when she sat next to Greg in the break room.   
"You talked to the mayor yet?" The blonde asked.   
"No, our boss called me last night when I was home. We're supposed to work faster, the mayor wants the body of his son and he's not happy with us not having a suspect yet. Leave alone closed the case."  
"How are we supposed to have a suspect when we barely have anything? The place we found the body had more evidence of different people than a public toilette at the Universal Studies. It's a famous place for homeless people to camp, we can't just go there and find the piece of evidence, that leads us to the killer."  
"Tell the mayor. Any news of the bugs?"  
"I haven't talked to Grissom today."  
"And you're not eager to."  
"No, which is ridiculous, I know."  
"He knows about you and Sara, she loves you, there're no reasons to feel uncomfortable. No logical reasons."  
"The problem is, the brain doesn't always win. He wants to have dinner with the three of us."  
"Of course he does."  
"Can you sit next to Sara?"  
"To make sure he's far away from her?"  
Sofia smiled weakly. "Like I said, ridiculous."  
"Don't forget, I wanted her to be mine too."  
"Yeah, but she never wanted you, there's the difference. She always loved you, but as a little brother. I can live with that. With Grissom it was different."  
"Was. Past. Can you work with him?"  
"Of course."  
"Good, we need you on the case, we have to get our master's answers otherwise we'll get in trouble. Our boss made it clear, the baby case of last year isn't forgotten. Unless you don't want to work as a mall cop and I as a science nerd at a college, we better solve this case."  
"He threatened you?"  
"No, he only made it obvious, we want to solve the case for our best. No threads, but he didn't need them. So, lets see the bug man, ask for some clues and keep working. We should get more answers from trace today, maybe one will help us."  
"A body of a boy gets dumped in an area without cameras, where people don't care what the man next to them does, he wasn't taken their on foot, the killer took him there with a car. Maybe one of the people around remembers a car, can give us a description."  
"I take a cop and go there."  
"Let me join you."  
"No, stay in the lab."  
"Greg…"  
"No Sofia, you keep it slow, that's the deal. One of us has to do the lab work, you're the one. When you're the leading CSI the next time, you can ban me in the lab."  
"Believe me, I will!" The blonde grumbled. Tied up in the lab meant not only staying inside the whole day, leaving the exciting work to somebody else, it also meant being close to Grissom, being around him, having another conversation with him. 

"Hello stranger, what brings you here?"  
"I'm not a stranger."  
"You haven't been here in a while, you were on the best way to become a stranger."  
"Bull…not true." Sara hugged Jules and pulled her in her arms while she kissed her cheek. A week, a little bit more since she had been here the last time. "Where is my baby?"  
"In Sofia."  
"I mean my Eric."  
"In bed. After his godmother didn't care for him, didn't care he was waiting for her, he decided to sleep until you have time for him. A little bit like sleepy beauty, only he's waiting for a princess to kiss him awake."  
"In that case I should be the princess he waits for."  
"Yes you should. And I look after his sister because his father isn't here to look after her. Looks like the job took over family life."  
"Law enforcement, get used to it. You knew what you got yourself into when you went out for dinner with him - instead of telling him, you can't date the friend of a patient. I don't feel sorry for you."  
"He had something I wanted."  
"Like what?"  
"The perfect DNA to get these little cuties." Jules lifted Jorja out of her bed and kissed her daughter.   
"I admit, he did a perfect job on them." Sara took Eric in her arms, kissed his forehead and smiled when the boy opened his eyes to smile at her. "You are so cute, my little baby. One day I will steal you, run away with you and you, Sofia and your baby brother or sister, we have then, live somewhere far away a happy life."  
"Kidnapping? The last time I checked that's a crime."  
"Not kidnapping, relocating and creating a happy family with him being the big brother, the hero for the baby sibling."  
"I will never leave you alone with my son anymore. No more evenings when you babysit him and his sister. That's over."  
"No." Sara smiled. "He'll be mine next Saturday, when you and Greg have to go to this important appointment with your mother. They'll both be mine."  
"Maybe we call a professional babysitter."  
"No you won't." Sara sat down, her eyes are still on Eric. "You will leave this little man with me, also his sister. And I make sure you'll have a wonderful evening, we'll roll on the carpet, I read out a story for you we might even try some real food…chocolate pudding."  
"You are not going to feed my son chocolate pudding, SOFIA!"   
"If he likes it, he gets it. This way Sofia doesn't eat it all."   
"We need a serious conversation about the way you treat my kids. What happened to happy healthy food Sara?"  
"She's in the forest, collecting berries."  
"Funny girl. Care to help me with the twins? They need their dinner soon and I doubt their father will be here."  
"Same with my girlfriend, they both work overtime."  
"She shouldn't work this much."  
"It's not like she has a choice, but she takes breaks."  
"Mhm, in case this doesn't work out, you should take a week off, go on vacation after the next try. Make sure she really takes time for the baby to settle in." Jules placed Jorja in a chair.   
"She does what the doctor told her to do. What do you want to have for dinner tonight, little man?" Sara sat Eric next to Jorja. "Peas? Carrots? Potatoes? All mashed of course."  
"Spinach is on the menu today."  
"Mhm, I love spinach, spinach is great." Sara took the glass with the baby food out of Jules's hand. "Why don't you sit down, talk to your children while I prepare dinner for them? You were away the whole day, spend some time with them."  
"Thanks. I think they're happy when they see and hear me, so why don't I prepare some dinner for us? I'm sure you haven't eaten and Sofia will be back the same time Greg will, means, we're both without our sweethearts and can be each others company."  
"Deal. Although we're not in your office and don't have muffins."  
"You're always welcome to visit me for my lunch break."  
"Nah, you spend your lunch breaks with this shrink I saw way too long, two mind poker together is more than I can take."   
"Scared she'll get you back in her office?"  
"That won't happen anymore. The only shrink I see is you. The best."  
"Let the best tell you, you're not in need for a shrink at the moment, only for dinner. And a day with your lover. Oh no wait, that was me."  
"Dinner and lover are for both of us, I think."  
"Probably. Are you happy with salad and bread with garlic butter?"  
"Absolutely."  
"Good, that's all I have. Somebody has to go shopping and I've the feeling, this somebody will be the twins - accompanied by their mother because daddy is out, chasing killer."  
"Mommy is always there, that’s why they love mommy more."  
"And why mommy will give daddy a hard time when he comes home without flowers and a good apology."  
"Oh come on, it's not like he wants to be away all day, he misses you as much as you miss him. And I know from a very reliable source, he misses the twins a lot and has a new picture of them on his cell phone. And a nice shot of his fiancé in his locker."  
"Not as good as having him here at home."  
Sara put aside the glass to let them cool down a bit, pulled Jules in her arms. "Let me give you an advice, doc, a law enforcement relationship advice. Being with a cop or a CSI is never easy, they work mean cases forcing them work mean hours. They are aware of the pain they cause their partners by being away all the time and every time they do so, they wish they could come up with something to make up for it. The problem is, their job don't let them do what they want to do all the time, that doesn't change the way they feel for you. Greg loves you and he suffers more from being apart from you than the other way around. I've been there, I know both sides and - even when it doesn't seem to be so - it's harder for the one who disappoints than for the one who gets disappointed."  
"And you didn't give me this advice earlier, like two years earlier, because?"  
"Because you were the one who had to give me advices and not the other way around. Plus, this crazy CSI got you right from the start with his boyish charm and his cute smile."  
"Yeah, and now here I am, with two babies and my man out of the house."  
"See, that's why I date a woman. I can be left home alone, but I'm not left home alone with twins."  
"Maybe I should date you, we're both home alone, the best chance to start an affair."  
"Sorry, you're not a blonde."  
"Your blonde is a brunette just like me."  
"Your point, but she's got a badge."  
"I've got a doctors degree."  
"And a gun."  
"I can read minds."  
"She might be pregnant with my baby."  
"I could do the same. I'm younger, my chances of getting pregnant are higher."  
"Are you hitting on me, Jules? Because right now, it definitely feels like that."  
"Just testing the water."  
"You better swim back to your side of the shore before you drown or get pulled to the wrong side, unable to get back where you belong." Sara smiled.   
"I love you, Sara."  
"I love you too, Jules. And now finish my dinner because just like your twins, I'm hungry." Sara kissed Jules's cheek and got the glasses with the baby food. "Eric, dinner is on its way, get ready for some yummy spinach, that will make you just a strong as Popeye was. But you look much better than him and won't smoke a pipe, will you?"  
"As long as his godmother looks after him, he won't come up with ideas like this and the way I know her, she's good in looking after the ones she loves."  
"So is his mother, means, he'll be all right." 

Three hours later, Sara was still with Jules, the twins were both asleep on a thick blanket on the carpet in the living room while the women sat on the couch and watched a movie together. Sara had sent a text to her lover before, telling her, if she wanted to see her, she had to come over to Jules's place.   
It was a little bit after nine again when Greg and Sofia came back.   
"Look, strangers." Jules said when the two CSI came inside.   
"I saw them before…somewhere…during our last vacation?"  
"Around Christmas?"  
"Definitely feels like it."  
"Very funny." Greg dropped next to Jules on the couch, pulled her in his arms. "Sorry. For being late. Again."  
"Mhm, tell the twins, they barely know you anymore."  
"When they're awake I explain it to them."  
"Are you giving me a hard time too?" Sofia asked when she sat next to her girlfriend.   
"No, I know you don't come home late by choice. The burden of law enforcement."  
"Lucky for me I've such an understanding woman in my life." The blonde closed her eyes and leant onto her lover. It was good to have her in her arms after this long day.   
"Yes." Sara stroke softly over the blonde's belly. "How are you?"  
"Good, but I can't say I feel pregnant. Although I experienced all symptoms at least twice today - just in order how I read them the last time."  
"Eight more days."  
"Eight long days."  
"The last eight days of your pregnancy will feel the same." Jules said.   
"At the moment I really look forward to this. And some dinner."  
"There's salad left in the fridge. Good for women, who wants to become a mother soon."  
"Great. Greg?"   
"I take a nasty greasy pizza from the freezer."  
"For that you have to walk to the next supermarket and look into their freezers because our freezer is empty."  
"I can hear an edge in the voice of my fiancé, won't ask any more questions and will look for whatever is left in the fridge or freezer. Sofia, do you want to join me?"  
"Yes." The blonde got up. "Want something too, Darling?"  
"No, I'm fine, thanks."  
"More for us." Sofia kissed Sara and left the room with Greg.   
"You know, he'll come home with a trunk full of food tomorrow?" Sara asked Jules.   
"I hope so. Because when I come home, I've to take the twins to the doctor for a routine check, which will take a while because these late afternoon appointments are very popular. And I also have to finish up some paperwork, Greg isn't the only one who is busy."  
"Why don't you let me do the shopping? Write a list, or let him write a list, and I get you the things. I've some time on my hands after work, will go shopping anyway and get your groceries too. No problem at all."  
"Since when do you like shopping?"  
"When the supermarket is empty, plus I've to take care of my baby brother. When he gets in trouble at home for not being domestic enough, I've to get him out of it. Like I said before, I understand the trouble he is in, been there before myself."  
"Okay. But he has to figure out a way of handling family and work, like we all do."  
"Consider buying food online, it saves you a lot of time."  
"Is that how you shop most times?"  
"Sometimes." Sara smiled. "When I'm too lazy. Or busy."  
"We found chocolate - hidden in a shelf." With a bar of chocolate in the left hand and a sandwich in the other hand the blonde came back, while Greg had two sandwiches and a banana.   
"Why am I not surprised you found chocolate."  
"I'm reliable my love." Sofia sat on the lap of her lover. "We'll have a dinner date soon. Probably tomorrow. Tell me, you can't do make it to dinner."  
"I can't make it to dinner tomorrow. I work early this week, you know it, if we tell him otherwise it's a lie. We can't avoid dinner with Grissom forever."  
"No, but maybe you'll be so busy until we've closed the case so he has to go back to wherever without this dinner."  
"If you want, we can arrange that."  
"Do you want to meet him for diner?"  
"Actually yes. And if you're mad now I won't tell you the truth anymore when you ask me a question."  
"I'm not mad and not happy…but I respect your wish."  
"Sofia, she wants to see her former colleague and friend, not her ex lover." Jules said. "You've nothing to fear."  
"You are in for this dinner too."  
"Well, I'm curious to meet doctor Grissom. Plus we don't have to go shopping for that, don't have to search for food."  
"Don't forget to take the twins with you, I want my little boy with me." Sara looked at Eric, who was still asleep. "And tomorrow your cupboards will be filled with food."  
"And I promise I will try everything to get back home earlier." Greg said. "I'm really sorry." He kissed his fiancé, knowing she wasn't happy with the hours he worked and he could understand to a degree.   
"So am I for being bitchy. I know you don't do this to annoy me or because you want it."  
"Why don't we just forget it?"  
"Exactly, kiss and make up - well, leave the make up for later, when we're gone. Which will be soon, I need to get up early tomorrow and my dear ranger will get up with me, because she wants to have breakfast with me and kiss me goodbye."  
"Then she goes to work, shopping, cleans the house a little bit and takes the dogs out for a walk. Make sure on your next day off, you're on duty with all the work, the house has to offer. Including dusting." Sara grinned. Sofia hated dusting and whenever she wanted to tease her lover, she let her do this. 

"Are Jules and Greg having a hard time?" Sofia asked when she slipped next to her lover in the bed and switched off the lights.   
"She's a little bit sad because he's gone all the time. Beside this one night we all went out, he has been working a lot, didn't spend much time with his children nor his fiancé."  
"She is from a doctor family, she knows times can get rough, that you can't always come home on time."  
"It's different when you see it with your parents. As a teenager you're happy when they're away and you have the house for yourself, later you have your own place and don't realize how much work can have an impact on your relationship when one partner is away a lot. She works steady hours and from what I understood, her last partners were busy, but not that busy. Plus there weren't babies involved."  
"Greg needs a night off. Or even better a whole weekend, so they can go away together. The problem is, our boss won't let him go away until we've solved this case. There's a lot of pressure and he gives it to us. Means, if we don't work faster, our night with the rich and famous might be a night for you and Jules with the rich and famous, because I'll be in the lab, working on evidence."  
"Do you really believe I go there without you?"  
"I don't know, you're allowed to have a day out too. And this premiere is a chance, we won't get offered again."  
"You. The tickets are your tickets. If he really sends them to the lab."  
"We'll see. If not, we can make ourselves a nice night and go to the movies or treat ourselves with a visit at the spa."  
"Actually all I want is some time with you, with you alone and nobody else around. We order a pizza, hide in the room, watch movies and…snuggle up."  
"Yeah, no sex. Still. It feels like years that we had the last sex together. I don't understand why they came up with this rule."  
"They get their pleasure from causing pain to other people. Doctors are mean." The brunette kissed the blonde. "Two weeks for a life with a baby. We have to pay the price of becoming parents."  
"Hopefully we'll be parents in nine months. Otherwise we've to live without sex for another two weeks. You know, these two weeks are worse than everything that involves the doctor. The doctors are around for an hour or two, this is much longer."  
"It's a one time thing - I hope."  
"So do I." The blonde paused. "Shall we have dinner with Grissom tomorrow?"  
"I thought you want to tell him I'm busy."  
"I don't want you to lie and you want to meet him. So I get over myself and arrange dinner for all of us."  
"Why don't you wait until you have some more air? Tomorrow will be a busy day, Grissom will be in Los Angeles at least two more nights, if not until the case is closed, we can have dinner on his last night here, when you have less to do."  
"Sounds good - especially when he has to leave ASAP."  
"Oh Darling." Sara kissed Sofia. "Stop being mean, he is no threat to you."  
"Did you never consider going back to him? I mean, when you came back from South America, had your time out. Las Vegas offers other jobs too."  
"I did think about going back to Vegas, yes. When I had not such a nice meeting with LAPD. Vegas seemed like the obvious way to get money, Grissom wasn't a reason to go there. Actually there was no reason to go back, I was happy to be away."  
"You weren't engaged to him at that time anymore."  
"No."  
"And you broke the engagement off."  
"You know that."  
"Did he ever try to change your mind about it?"  
"That would have meant, he had to leave Vegas, give up his work, change his entire life. You know Grissom, he isn't the type of man, who changes his life, all he ever worked and lived for. So no, he never tried to get me back."  
"His loss was my gain." The blonde snuggled into the arms of her lover. "And I will shoot him if he tries to get you back."  
"Did it ever occur to you, he might be in a relationship? That he has no interest in me?"  
"You're the best, nobody can hold a candle to you."  
"It's in the eyes of the beholder."  
"No, it's a fact. You looked into the mirror lately? You're the most beautiful woman."  
"Mirror, mirror on the wall…Honey, I love you and I'm happy you think I'm the most beautiful woman, I think the same about you. And there are a lot of people, who will think their partner is the most beautiful woman in the world."  
"Stop being logically."  
"Stop being jealous." Sara laughed. "Jealousy isn't good for our baby. Or our relationship."  
"As soon as this man is out of town everything will be all right."  
"You know what? I will come to the lab tomorrow after work, talk to Grissom and find out, if there's somebody else in his life. If so, you can stop with your jealousy and work relaxed with him."  
"Two meetings with Grissom? Doesn't sound good."  
"How does making your girlfriend happy sound?"  
"Wonderful."  
"Good, you make me happy by taking it easy on Grissom and trusting me. Trust my feelings for you. You think, you can do that?"  
"Yes." Sofia sighed.   
"That's why I love you." Sara pulled the lover in her arms and kissed her. At one point the blonde had to understand, Grissom wasn't a threat. 

1st of July Saturday

"We have an eyewitness." Greg said when he entered the layout room.   
"Like somebody saw how Brandon Milford got killed? An eyewitness, who can close the case?"  
"No, that good. A man, who saw a car in the area six days ago, at night."  
"Did he see how somebody left the body behind?"  
"No."  
"So basically all you have is a man, who saw a car in that area?" A car in Hollywood, not an usual thing.   
"Usually there are no cars around." He sighed. "I know, it's close to nothing, but it's more than we had before. A black car, jeep. Maybe it has nothing to do with Brandon's death, maybe it belongs to the killer."  
"There are thousands of black jeeps in the city."  
"I know."  
"Do you want to check the alibis of all owner? And their families in case a family member took the car?"  
"I try to narrow it down…don't look at me like that. Got any better ideas?"  
"I might have a better idea." Grissom joined them. "El Sereno."  
"The bacon?"  
"That's serrano, Greg. El Sereno is a neighborhood east of here."  
"Okay. And what's special about it?"  
"According to my bugs and your trace woman, the bugs have been there. So you might want to narrow your black jeep down to this area. I also checked their DNA with the DNA the Las Vegas lab sent me, they're not related. It seems like a lot of bad guys found out, hungry bugs are a good way of letting a body disappear. I got in touch with a few people from this area I know, who are into bugs. Did you know there's a bug shop in El Sereno?"  
"Why would anybody buy bugs?" Sofia furrowed her brows. When you had a bug in your house, you got your shoe and killed it. There was no point in buying them, they kept coming to your place all the time anyway. Uninvited.   
"Because when you want to win races, you need good bugs and roaches."  
"Yuck."  
"I'll go there, see if they have the same bug, you found at the crime scene. Does anybody wants to join me?"  
Sofia looked at Greg. She wasn't eager to go there with Grissom. There were hundreds of bugs, roaches and other little creatures, she didn't like. And a car ride with Grissom. Which was almost as worse as the rest.   
"I come with you, I've never been to El Sereno." Greg said and smiled when he caught the thankful look of the blonde. "Sofia can talk to our boss, he wants an update. Enjoy your time in the office."  
That explained why he was this helpful, he wanted to avoid their boss. Maybe Grissom was the lesser evil, but now it was too late.   
"Sure. I talk to him, from former acting supervisor to supervisor."  
"Good luck with that. I think the mayor is there too. And his wife."  
"Just…go and talk to the bugs." She got up, took the case folders and walked to the office of her boss. All right, all right, acting like a teenager got her not into a better position, it got her into an interrogation and she wouldn't be the one, who asked the questions. If she could get over herself and start acting the way an adult did, the way she expected herself to act, she could have avoided this. For crying out loud, Sara told her several times Grissom was no threat to her. Every day. When would she finally get it into her head?   
She knocked on the door to her boss's office and stepped inside. Like Greg said, the mayor and his wife were there too.   
"William, you want an update on the case?"  
"Come in, have a seat and give us some good news."  
Sofia sat on an empty chair, facing her boss and the two other people. "Grissom and Sanders are on their way to El Sereno. According to Grissom there is a shop, that might sell the bugs, we found at the bo…y. Also our trace lab said they come from this area of the city. Maybe the shop sold them, has a record of people, who bought them."  
"Good. What else?"  
"Uhm, Sanders talked to a man, who saw a black jeep in the area where we found the boy, the night before he was found. We will see how many jeeps are from El Sereno."  
"When will you find the murder of our son?" The mayor asked.   
"We do our best."  
"Do more."  
"We need more evidence."  
"Then why are you sitting here and don't get more evidence?"  
"It's not that easy, Albert." Sofia's boss said. "The place your son's body was found didn't give us many clues about who killed him. The bugs eating away most of his flesh made it impossible to get traces of the killer."  
"Your lab seems to have problems with solving cases. First the baby kidnapper, now our son. Maybe we've to change a few things here."  
Sofia looked at her boss. Was the mayor just threatening them? Were their jobs at risk? 

"Hey garbage boy." Sara smiled when Stephen came with a filled bag of garbage back.   
"Funny. Just because you have got a gun, it doesn't mean you're in a better position."  
"I've got a gun, I've got a uniform and I'm allowed to send you to wherever I want because you're my helping hand. That makes you my personal slave and there's nothing you can do about it."  
"I could leave."  
"No, you won't. Garbage is better than prison."  
"A gun, a uniform, treating me like a slave, this is like prison. You're like a prison guard. And you enjoy it."  
"I'm worse."  
"What have you got in mind for me next? Picking up garbage with my mouth? Cleaning the toilets with a toothbrush?"  
"Did you bring yours?"  
"I don't own one."  
"I buy you one when you're done here. Get the garbage in the container."  
"Yes ma'am." He threw the bag into the container. "Now what?"  
"Time for a coke." Sara took a can of coke out of her backpack and threw it to Stephen. "It's time for a break."  
"Wow, thanks guard."  
She slapped the backside of his head. "Don't get cheeky."  
"I am cheeky and you have to slap me harder to punish me. This is a touch, where I live, not a slap."  
"In the world I live every raised hand against a child is a slap. And don't give me the shit about you're not a child anymore."  
"I'm a teenager."  
"I realized that when you ran away. It's typical for a teenager."  
"So what?"  
"So why don't you make the next step and turn from a teenager to an adult? By taking responsibilities for your life instead of running away? You're a smart kid, you don't have to act stupid."  
"How do you know I'm a smart kid?"  
"I saw your school marks."  
"They're average."  
"Actually, they're a little bit under average, which comes from your missing interest in school and lack of respect of authorities. That's what your teachers say."  
"You talked to my teachers?"  
"No, I got a lot of information about you, Stephen. About your life, what you do, how you behave."  
"So you know I'm a loser."  
"No, I know you could do more with your life if you wanted. You're not hanging around with the trouble gang, you are not walking around smacking up other kids. That's what loser do. You have an anger issue."  
"Really? Are you a shrink when you're not a ranger?"  
"No, I had an anger issue too. Did you ever see a shrink?"  
"A few, part of being in a children's home. Are you recommending me to see one again? Because if you are, save yourself the energy for it, that won't happen." He threw the can into the garbage bin, got up and walked away. "I get back to work, break is over."  
Sara stayed where she was and watched him walking away. An anger issue and the habit of walking away when things turned out not the way he wanted. Just like herself. Some hard work waited for her. 

"What did the bugs tell you?" Sofia asked Greg when he was back.   
"The bugs told us there were five people within the last six months, who bought this meat loving kind of bugs. Apparently they not only hungry when it comes to meat, but also love any other kind of food, which makes them good natural garbage disposer. No more longer leftovers in the fridge, no more longer a need to throw garden garbage away. Plus, they like eating some other bugs. Less insects in your garden."  
"Great, more weirdo bugs less normal bugs. Do these bugs have natural enemies?"  
"By the time the bugs eater realize they're a super size version of their favorite bug, they are dead. And according to Grissom these bugs can't produce baby bugs."  
"How is that possible?" When there was a species it had to be able to produce offspring otherwise it was distinct within a short time.   
"It's like with a mule."  
"Sometimes I wonder what drives people to do things like this. So, the five guys with the bugs, do we have all their names?"  
"No, only two paid with credit card, the three paid cash. We have descriptions of them, unfortunately no surveillance video. The shop owner will call us if one of the three comes back or anybody buys these bugs again."  
"You told the boss?"  
"No, I figured after you talked to him earlier, you can do it again. This time with good news. How was the meeting?"  
"The mayor threatened us. He mentioned it might be necessary to have a few changes in the lab if we can't close bigger cases."  
"Ouch."  
"For somebody, who didn't put a lot of effort in finding his son, he surely knows how to threat people."  
"You don't like him, do you?"  
"I don't like people, who use their power to put other people under pressure or threaten them. That is low level."  
"That's life, it has always been this way and I'm afraid it will always be this way. Anyway, Grissom and me go and talk to the two guys, we have them taken in. Want to help us?"  
"How?"  
"Work on the information we got about the other three? It's the harder work, perfect for a former acting supervisor."  
"I can hear the mock in your voice, lab rat. I might not be an acting supervisor anymore, you might be above me at the moment, but I've been up there, you haven't yet. Pay some respect to a higher rank."  
"Former higher rank. It's all in the past."  
"See, this is why I prefer the real police work. My old colleague still call me lieutenant and pay all the respect I earned with my badge, even when I'm a CSI now."  
"I'm touched. Go back to work, CSI Curtis. So we can finish a little bit earlier today. Before we find our girlfriends together on the couch again. You never know when they come up with stupid ideas because they're alone and lonely and need some arms to hold them."  
"Sara is only into blondes with deep blue eyes, who are pregnant with her baby."  
"Lets hope that's the truth."  
"Hey, I worry already because of Grissom, don't make me worry about Jules too. She won't leave within the next days and they'll always meet for coffee and muffins without us." Sofia protested.   
"They will, like they dance together and share secrets. Lets go home on time today."  
"I really hate you sometimes, Greg." The blonde grumbled. Sara and Jules? Sara and Grissom? What was wrong with this world? There was only one person, who was in Sara's heart and that was she, Sofia. No doctor bug and no doctor mind. 

"Can I give you a ride home?" Sara asked Stephen when their shift was almost over.   
"Why? What happened to my personal driver?"   
"Nothing. I'm going the same direction you go, we can save him the drive. If you're not too scared of driving with me."  
"Because women aren't good driver? I heard about that. Don't worry, I make sure you won't get into an accident. Or, you let me drive. I get us into the city faster."  
"You don't have a license."  
"You don't need a license to be capable of driving a car."  
"Lets stay on the legal side of the law. Yes or no? Me or your driver?"  
"Do you want to see where I live?"  
"I know where you live, I know your file, remember?"  
"True. Okay, give me a lift if that makes you happy. What will we do until then?"  
"I call your driver and you finish the area here."  
"That's like a five minute job, there's half an hour left for us."  
"We go home early. Don't worry, there will be plenty of chances to stay longer, more than you want." The brunette smiled and went into the office to call the man, who was supposed to pick Stephen up. When she came back the boy had finished his work and sat in her car. Her locked car.   
"How did you get in there?"  
"I'm full of talents."  
"Do I have to remind you I'm involved with a former cop? Picking locks isn't legal."  
"Maybe your door was open."  
"Steve, I was a CSI, all I need is one look to see you picked the lock." Sara got on her knees next to the open car door. "There are little scratches. Thinner than the ones the key makes when you unlock the door with it. Universal key with a metal piece?"  
"Maybe."  
Sara opened her hand.   
"What?"  
"Give them to me."   
"Why?"  
"Because then you can't pick locks anymore; until you have new ones. Come on, hand them over."  
"You're such a spoilsport." He handed her a key and a thin metal piece. "And the other one."  
"Which other ones? You said a key and a metal piece."  
"I did and I know, you have more than one because you never know which one fits. Come on, empty your pockets."  
"I should have taken the driver."  
"No, should have not picked my car door."  
"You're not a CSI anymore."  
"That doesn't mean I forgot everything." She put his tools in her backpack.  
"Will you tell our boss? Or the guys in the children's home?"  
"Don't be stupid, we can settle this alone. Will you do it again?"  
"No, I won't pick your lock again."  
"Will you pick any other lock again?"  
"Uhm…"  
"Stephen!"   
"Oh come on…some things are…necessary."  
"Eating, drinking, sleeping, exercising and breathing are necessary. Picking locks isn't. So?"  
"Okay. Damn it."  
"Okay what?"  
"I won't pick locks anymore. Happy?"  
"Yes. And now fasten your seat belt."  
"Worse than a prison guard."  
Sara smirked. That was what happened when you had to be a show-off. If he hadn't picked her lock, his tools were still in his possession. At least he wasn't mad she took them away, that was more than she expected first. 

"Hey Grissom." Sara smiled when she leant on the door to the room where Grissom sat in.   
"Sara." He took off his glasses and looked at her like she was a fairy. "Wow, you look good. Very good."  
"Thanks. You look good too." It didn't feel as strange as she thought to see him again.   
"I try. Are you here to…pick Sofia up?"  
"If she can finish on time today."  
"I doubt she can. Greg and me finished talking to two possible suspects five minutes ago, she must be still busy on the three unknown suspects and from what I heard, the mayor isn't pleased with our work."  
"Great."  
"But, we can have a little break for dinner. I can. My bugs are not complaining."  
"Let me check with Sofia first. maybe she can take a little break too."   
"Okay."   
Sara smiled and turned. Before she could walk away, he added.   
"You are really into her, aren't you?"  
She stopped, looked at him, kept smiling. "I love her." And with that she turned and walked away, expecting Sofia being in one of the layout rooms. The blonde was in layout room four, proving Sara's thought right.   
"Hey."  
"Hi." A big smile appeared on Sofia's face when she saw her lover. "What are you doing here? Are you lonely?"  
"I took a little cheeky man to his house and the lab was on my way back; well, I made it being on my way back because I wanted to see a special CSI. Grissom told me, the mayor isn't happy with your work."  
"You…talked to Grissom?"  
"I saw him on my way to here. You're not coming home on time, are you?"  
"No, I'm sorry."  
"Can you take a short break? For some dinner?"  
"Like delivered fast food short? Yes."  
"Deal. What shall I get you?"  
"Why don't you stay and I call a delivery service? What do you want to eat? Thai?"  
"We didn't have Thai in a while."  
"Okay, I call them. Your favorite dish?"  
"Yes. Oh, Grissom wants to join us."  
"Does he?" It was written all over the blonde's face that she wasn't happy about it.  
"Yes, that's what he said. Before I told him, I want to talk to you first and then that I love you."  
"Good."  
"So, can I tell him we'll have Thai together or shall I lie and make up an excuse?"  
"I don't want you to lie. Ask him what he wants, I order."  
"And I love you." The brunette blew the blonde a kiss and went back to Grissom. "We order Thai, what would you like?"  
"My taste hasn't changed."  
"Okay. It should be here in fifteen minutes, Sofia orders."  
"Want to hang around until then?"  
"No, thanks, I let you finish your work and come back when the food is here." She went back to Sofia. "Grissom takes Phat Thai."  
"All right."  
"Why don't I order and you continue your research of the three unknown suspects."   
The blonde smiled. "You know about them?"  
"Grissom told me about the case a little bit."   
"What else did he say?"  
"Phat Thai." Sara blinked at her lover, took her cell phone and called their favorite Thai delivery service and ordered their food.   
"Did he…"  
"Tell me about the case, Sofia." Sara stopped her lover from asking more about what Grissom might have said or done in the minute they talked.   
"Yes…sorry…uhm. It seems like our murder bought these special bugs in El Sereno and the shop owner told us five people bought these bugs within the last six months. Grissom and Greg talked with two of them this afternoon, the two, who paid with credit card. They had alibis, Greg checks them out. I was left with the three remaining names and vague descriptions of them. Grissom also gave me a list of bug lovers in L.A., I work on that list, see who has a black jeep, the bugs and no alibi. It will take a while."  
"Are you sure the black jeep has anything to do with the crime?"  
"No, it was what a witness said - a homeless man, who was drunk. So you know how reliable the source is."  
"Yes." Sara sat down, looked at the papers and lists the were working on. "What have you not told me?"  
"Huh? This is all the evidence we have."  
"Now tell me about what you think. The not being included in the evidence. Your guts."  
"I hate the mayor."  
"And that's not because he wants to change things in the lab."  
"No…not completely."  
"So?"  
"So I don't understand why you can sit at home or your office, not doing everything possible in the world to find your son, when he ran away. As a father he should be sick of worry and all he did was calling the parents of Brandon's friends, asking them if his son had been there. No big police search. Why? Why did he not care and why does he wants to know about every tiny piece of evidence we come up with now? What made him care out of the blue? Is it because he knows now his son is dead or is it because…" The blonde stopped.  
"Because he is involved somehow and wants to know, how close you are to catch him?" Sara ended the sentence for her lover.   
"That's crazy."  
"Crazier things have happened. Did you talk with your boss about this?"  
"No. I've no evidence to prove this, you're the only one I talked about it. And I've no idea how to get evidence for this."  
"You've to have a closer look at Mister Milford."  
"I can't. My boss will kill me if I start investigating the mayor."  
"If Mister Milford wasn't mayor, if he was only Brandon's father, who works at a restaurant, cleaning tables, washing dishes, what would be the first thing you'd do when you find the body of his son, find out, they had a fight and the father wasn't that eager in finding his son, when there was hope, he was alive?"  
"I'd check on the father and the mother…but this is the mayor."  
"That doesn't make him bullet proof."  
"I get myself fired."  
"You might find out the truth."  
"Are you willing to support us alone? When your girlfriend loses her job because she made herself very unpopular."  
"I stick to my love in good and bad times." Sara pulled Sofia in her arms. "Think about it, talk to Greg, maybe you can talk together with your boss. Milford is the mayor, but you have to handle the case the same way you'd work any other similar case. That includes checking on the victim's family."  
"We need you back in the lab, you're way too good as a CSI to be in the forest as a ranger."  
"The lab has you, they have the best."  
"Together we're the best."  
"Honey, we've been through this."  
"Yeah, sorry. Lets get down to the reception and get our food. And Grissom too."  
"I love you." Sara kissed the cheek of her lover. 

"How is your new life, Grissom?" Sara asked when the three of them sat in the break room, having dinner out of plastic bowls.   
"Good. I can do a lot of research, experiments and when the police requests it, I work crime scenes. All over the country. Sometimes it feels like getting paid for traveling. How do you like your new job? Why aren't you a CSI anymore?"  
"I don't want all the violence in my life anymore, as a ranger I can spend my days outside, meet people when they're happy and not on their saddest day of their life."  
"And yet you're not completely away from the crimes, being involved with a CSI and seeing her at her work place."  
"What can I say? Cops have a lot of power and when I met Sofia she was lieutenant and saved my ass from ending up in prison."  
"You in prison? Why?"  
"Because my colleague used me as a drug mule. Her colleagues believed I knew about the drugs, she was sure, I was innocent."  
"Not completely innocent. I still believe you know and knew more about the disappearance of one of your colleagues." The blonde said. "No matter what you told me back then."  
"I told you what I could."  
"That's not the same like you told me what you knew."  
"Lucky for us you're not a cop anymore and the case is closed." Sara blinked at her lover. No, she never told Sofia the whole truth, never told her she was aware of the fact Billy left and knew about his plans, but never called the police before he was in Mexico nor told them where he went at all. She promised him not to say a word and she kept her promise.   
"Do you know where he is?"  
"No, but I do know, he had nothing to do with the drugs, he was used like I was."  
"Why did he ran away?"  
"He didn't have a cop standing up for him. If I hadn't met you, I might have ran too. But for some strange reasons, I trusted you, trusted you would make everything all right."  
"I did. And you weren't nice to me in exchange. Even when I saved you from ending up crispy. This woman, Grissom, slept for hours in the hot summer sun on the beach, without a sun blocker and when I found her, she was deep red, like the cars of the fire fighters. Stubborn Sara was mad with me, didn't want to take my offer to get her back to the motel and when I took her there and went to a pharmacy to get her some crème, she wasn't nice neither. That was a time when I needed my badge to get the door of her room unlocked."  
"Sounds like the Sara I know. Why didn't you call me? I could have backed you up."  
"Because I wanted a new life, without my past in it all the time. It was bad enough Sofia was there and I couldn't chase her away."  
"And now you don't want her away anymore."  
"Now I don't want to live without her anymore. She's my life." The brunette took the hand of the other woman. "We'll have a family together."  
"Really? That doesn't sound like you."   
"Many things have changed, Grissom. Many things had to change in order to get my life back on the road. The life I lived in Vegas didn't make me happy, too many things haunted me, my past was too much around and there was no way for me to work all the problems out, made the life work for me. The time in South America helped me to to have a life without ghosts, I had to live without death and violence around me every day. And I had to work through problems of the past, I buried deep inside me. So deep that I couldn't get them out alone. You'll meet Jules when we have dinner with Greg, without her I couldn't have put an end to my past."  
"I thought Sofia helped you through everything."  
"She did, but there were things, she couldn't help me with, that's what the best therapist in Los Angeles is for. But without Sofia my therapy hadn't worked out."  
"Jules is the only person Sara is allowed to slobber over." The blonde smiled.   
"You have an interesting relationship."  
"We have a great relationship." Sara squeezed the hand of the blonde before she shifted her attention back to Grissom. "What about you? Who is the special person in your life?"   
"Who said there is a special person?"  
"I know you. Why don't you take her with you to dinner when we meet with Greg and Jules?"  
"I came to L.A. alone."  
"Really a pity, could be fun."   
"Hey Sofia…" Don came into the room, saw the blonde wasn't alone. "Sorry to interrupt the party. Your boss is looking for you."  
"Again? Okay, break is over for me. Are you coming with me?"  
"No, you're on your own. I will stay here in case you need back-up."  
"Then you can finish my dinner. Enjoy the meal." She handed him the bowl, kissed his cheek and left the room.   
"Thanks, Thai. Nice." He sat next to Sara. "Are you missing the lab so that you come in for a dinner?"  
"No, not work, I missed you." She smiled.   
"Honey, if you would miss me, you came to the PD and not the CSI lab. Don't lie to me this obvious."  
"Next time. Is Sofia in trouble? Or why is her boss asking for her? Again?"  
"My guess is, he wants an update on the case before he sends her home. You should be able to take her home soon."  
"Good." Sara checked her watch. "I'll go home now, there's a shopping trip on my list, I've to do. For us and some friends."  
"You are so domestic sometimes." Don smirked. "See you later, house wife."   
"Sometimes I wonder why I put up with this guy." Sara said to Grissom when she got up.   
"I'm the father of your child." Don simply said.   
"Yes you are and I really hope, the child doesn't come too much after you. Bye, bye boys." She left the break room with a smile before Grissom could ask any more questions. She was sure, hearing that Don was the father of her child, made him wonder about a few things. If he wanted answers, he had to ask Don and Sara doubted, the detective would provide the answer the older CSI was after. 

"Did you get lost in the shop or in the arms of another woman? Tall, attractive brunette, doctor degrees, two cute kids? Sounds like somebody you spent some time with today?" Sofia asked when Sara came into their bedroom.   
"The description of the woman sounds familiar. Silky skin, soft hair, Bambi eyes, yeah I saw her not too long ago, we had a good time together." The brunette pulled the blonde in her arms and kissed her. "Unfortunately the sexy doc wasn't around, she's with the twins to their check-up. That's why I did the shopping and let myself in with my own key."  
"Sexy doc, huh?"  
"Yeah, really sexy, I like her eyes most."  
"Do you?" Sofia pushed Sara on the bed, followed her and sat on top of her. "You are really trying to annoy me, don't you? Do you believe you're safe? That I won't rip off your clothes and show you, who is your lover and who is the only one, you are supposed to slobber over? You are so wrong, Honey. I will do all these things and I will make you suffer."  
"Will you stop talking and threatening and kiss me? Finally? Now!" Sara demanded, pulled the blonde down and kissed her passionately.   
"Where have you been? I came home, took the dogs out and you weren't here." The blonde pulled off the shirt of the other woman, kissing her, her hands all over the newly freed skin.   
"The supermarket was full, I got stuck in traffic, took all the groceries away in Greg's place and then I came up here after I put away our groceries." Sara closed her eyes, enjoyed the feeling of Sofia's lips and hands.   
"No other woman?"  
"There were hundreds of other women around, that's why I came back so late, they were all in my way." The brunette took off the shirt of the blonde, let hands ran to the back of the other woman, opened her bra and let it fall on the floor. "Like your clothes are in my way."  
"Get everything out of your way."  
"I'm on the best way to do so."  
"And I love every inch you take. Let me just clear a way too." Another bra fell on the floor, a zipper was opened. Hands move under silky fabrics.   
"Honey?" Sara gasped when she felt Sofia's finger moving softly over her clit. "Ohmygod!"  
"This feels good…oh I missed you so much, missed to touch you…" Sofia sucked on the pulse point of the brunette, making her moan.   
"Honey…"  
"I love you so much!"  
"I love you to and…" Sara's hands followed Sofia's, caught them, pulled them away from her. "We have to stop this."  
Sofia tried to free her hands, never stopped kissing Sara.   
"Honey, are you listening? Stop! We can't do it, it's too early."  
"I want you."  
"Just like I want you, but we can't. Think of the baby. We can't do this. We need to stop. Please."   
The blonde stopped fighting the hands, stopped kissing and just collapsed on top of the brunette. "I love you."  
"And I love you. Nevertheless, physical love has to wait. You know, you want the baby too. We'll can have all the sex we want after these two weeks."  
"Why do you have to be so…sensible?"  
"Because one of us has to be and this time it was my time. Means, the next time, you have to act sensible." Sara kissed her lover softly. "I love you."  
"Love you too…and I can't promise I'll act sensible. When it comes to you, my brain is on pause quite often because my heart and…other parts of my body take over."  
"And I love all the other parts of your body." Sara smiled.   
"So we take a cold shower?"  
"Yes, each of us alone."   
"Ouch…so mean…and the best thing we can do."  
"Definitely. I won't be able to stop us a second time."  
"And I won't be able to stop us at all. Not today."  
"Shower it is." Sara kissed her lover and got up. "See you in a few minutes."  
"I'll be here, waiting for you and…dressed."  
"Good decision. I'll come back - dressed too."  
"Great…really great." Sofia made a grimace. Nobody ever said getting pregnant could be this hard and frustrating. 

3rd of July Monday

Sofia worked her list down to one suspect, who was not identified yet. They didn't have any new evidence and Greg was pulled off the case yesterday to work another case.   
"Curtis, office!" With a sigh the blonde followed the call of her boss.   
"Good morning."  
"How far you with the case? The mayor called again."  
"I'm still trying to locate the third suspect, we don't have anything new on him…and…uhm… about the mayor…can I talk to you without getting in trouble?"  
"Have you ever been in trouble when you talked to me?"  
"You might not like what I have to say."  
"Try me."  
Sofia sat down. Now was the time to talk to her boss about the mayor and what bothered Sofia the whole time.   
"It's the mayor…you're a father. Could you just sit at home and wait while your son is disappeared?"  
"What do you mean? He called the parents of Brandon's friends and later the police."  
"Yeah, he called the parents and when they didn't say, Brandon was with them, he never bothered to contact the police the same day. He called missing person and told them, his son ran away and when he got picked somewhere, he should be send back to his father ASAP. He never made it urgent, never went out looking for Brandon himself. If that was my son, who was missing, I'd walk through every damn street in this city to find him. Wouldn't you do the same?"  
"I had the entire police force joining me."  
"See, that's what I mean. The mayor didn't call us, he never asked us to find his son until we had a body. He tried to…keep the case low until he knew, Brandon is dead."  
"Are you saying the mayor has something to do with the death of his own son? Think about what you say, Sofia."  
"If this wasn't the mayor we're talking about, who would be our first suspect when a boy vanished after a fight with his father?" Sara's words, good words.   
William sighed. "The father."  
"And we don't investigate him because he's the mayor, because he can get us into trouble. I don't hope he is the killer of his own son, but we have to look into this possibility. Otherwise we don't do our job right and my boss, whom I'm very fond of, always wants us to do our job as good as we can."  
"I will talk to him."  
"Seriously?"  
"Yes. This doesn't mean you can stop working on your third unidentified man. We have no evidence that the mayor has bugs we found on the body. Or do you believe, he ordered the death of his son?"  
Sofia thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. "No. If he killed his son, it was in the heat of the moment. The mayor has a temper, it's what I got from his staff at home and I remember one time, when I was still a cop, he was giving an interview, a reporter asked the wrong questions, didn't want to let go of them, and he became very, very angry. Security had to protect the reporter from the mayor, not the other way around.   
"We all have a temper when the right spot gets hit. How are you feeling?"  
"Huh?"   
"Your first week is over, are you feeling any different than usual?"  
The blonde smiled. Right, her boss knew about her attempt to get pregnant, she had told him when she asked for the two days off last week.   
"Whenever I think about it, I feel symptoms of the pregnancy. My mind plays with me, so I've no idea if I'm pregnant or not."  
"When will you know?"  
"Next Monday. For years I tried not to get pregnant, paid a lot of money, now I pay a lot of money to get pregnant. Life can be strange."  
"If you hadn't stopped dating men, you could be pregnant by now without paying any money."  
"True. The problem is, I love Sara and neither her nor me would like it when I get pregnant from a guy by sleeping with him. Anyway, we have a great father for our child. So it's all up to the doctors."  
"How is the detective holding up? Is he excited too?"  
"Yes and he takes even more care of me than usual. In case I'm really pregnant, you have to keep him away from me, I'm afraid, he won't let me do my job anymore. I wait for the day when he tells me to stay in the lab and - I don't know - mob the floors so I'm safe."  
"Don't worry." William laughed. "I won't let him sent you down to the cleaning stuff, I need you as a CSI. Any chances we get your better half to join us? A spot will open up in winter and Sara would be a great choice."  
"Last week she said no, sorry. Could she work with me?"  
"If she wants, yes. I don't mind."  
"I tell her, but I doubt she'll change her mind. She's happy as a ranger."  
"Maybe your old colleague wants to join us."  
"Grissom?"  
"Yes. It's his last day today, try your luck to convince him."  
"He gave up his job as a supervisor, he won't work as an ordinary CSI. You have to talk to him yourself." Especially because she didn't want Grissom here. It was perfectly all right with her when he lived in Las Vegas. Far away from Sara. 

"How is work with your new prison guard?" Sara asked Stephen when she met him, picking up garbage.   
"I prefer to work with you."  
"How comes?" She sat down and signed him to do the same. "I thought I'm a mean prison guard, who let you do all the dirty work."  
"Yeah, but least you are…I don't know…"  
"What's wrong with Shane? He's a funny guy." And Sara wasn't happy that she worked a different shift than her young friend. Most times they worked together, but their boss decided this week Shane had to work with the teenager.   
"He's strange."  
"Strange? Like what?"  
"Like…gay." Stephen made a grimace. "I mean, what normal guy would come up with pink hair and neon green stripes?"  
Sara laughed heartily. "Are afraid he might hit on you?"  
"That's illegal and I doubt he wants to go to prison…or maybe he does…there are a lot of men."  
"You seemed to be cool about my girlfriend."  
"That's different."  
"How?"  
"Two women together is hot, two men is gross."  
"I can't see any difference. What I can tell you is, Shane isn't gay, I met his girlfriend a couple of times. You don't have to be afraid, you're not woman enough to be his type. Relax, enjoy the time with him, he is a funny guy."  
"Still prefer you."  
"Thanks." She smiled. "Did you enjoy your day off yesterday?"  
"As much as you can enjoy it when you're forced to stay in a house."  
"Why do you have to stay inside?"  
"Because I got myself in trouble, have to work here to make up for it and our big majesty wants me to feel like in prison on Sundays. No day out, no walk in the park until I'm done with my work. I couldn't walk around the city on Sundays if I were in prison, so I won't do it now."  
"Your rules there suck."  
"Big time."  
"Want me to talk to your director?"  
"No, wouldn't change a thing. He sticks to the rules. His rules."  
"I could give it a try."  
"No, he'd blame me and get me into more trouble. Thanks anyway."  
"Did he complain because I took you home?"  
"No, that was fine with him. Saved him the money on my personal driver; not that the city wouldn't pay for it, but he doesn't care. Enough of my glorious life in the children's home. How is your fearless cop?"  
"You mean CSI? She's fine, a little bit stressed because of a case, that got stuck."  
"Can't you help her out?"  
"I'm not a CSI anymore."  
"You still know a lot."  
"Maybe, but I'm a ranger. Besides, Sofia is capable of solving the case herself. And as long as she takes breaks and doesn't overwork herself, I'm happy."  
"Does she have to be careful because of her leg?"  
"No, her leg doesn't stop her from work. She had an IV injection last week, we hope she's pregnant and the doctor ordered her to take it a little bit easier." And this was the first time she told anybody at work about it. Besides her boss, nobody here had any idea about their serious baby wish.  
"Wow. You are serious."  
"Absolutely. We want a family."  
His face turned sad. "Who doesn't? You have it in your own hands, you can have a family, can also be a family without her being pregnant. There are a lot of different kinds of families. I mean, you and her together isn't an example of the average American family."  
"Yes, there are a lot of different kinds of families, I've experienced a few myself. The ordinary one, the one you have now and the foster care."  
Stephen looked surprised. "You were in the system?"  
"From my thirteenth birthday on. Neither in children's home nor in foster care I ever felt like I was in a family, but, my own family didn't feel like a family should feel. It took a long time until I felt like having a family for the first time - over thirty years."  
"That's not very reassuring."  
"No, I know. Sorry. The truth isn't always reassuring. Fact is, you can't force family, it takes all the time it needs. If the family you were born in, doesn't feel like family, you have to wait until you have the chance to build your own family. It takes a lot of time, can be very frustrating, but when you found the one, you can feel like being home, it's the best feeling ever."  
"Means, I've to wait until I'm old enough to get married."  
"You marry the first girl you fall in love with, it's not very likely she's the one. Only a few people are entitled to find the perfect partner right away."  
"It took you a long time to find Sofia."  
"Yes and I knew her years before I fell in love with her. You can say, we wasted a lot of time, but I believe, we weren't ready for each other."  
"What if I find my family in forty, fifty or sixty years?"  
"Then you can't change it, it's nothing you can force. Sometimes, when you have some really good friends, they can be like family too."  
"The guys in the children's home aren't like brothers to me. More like cell inmates."  
"You're a smart kid, get your ass down to study, leave to a good college, university and the world is open for you. You get a sponsorship from a good college, no children's home will stop you from taking it. And then you're free. I left my foster parents when I was sixteen and went to Harvard, from that time on, it was the first time I could decide what to do with my life, where to go and when. Studying gave me full control over my life two years earlier than I thought."  
"Harvard with sixteen? Are you a kind of genius?"  
"No, I studied hard."  
"Obsessive."  
"When it's worth fighting for, you can become obsessive, that's fine."  
"Maybe." He got up. "I go obsessive on the garbage before the nut case with the weird hair tells me off for sitting here with you, doing nothing. Half an hour to go."  
"You get through it and like I said, Shane is a nice guy. I see you tomorrow, Stephen. Be nice to Shane, I like him."  
"You like Sofia."  
"No, I love her. That's a difference." She blinked at him and walked to her jeep. Time to check out the roads further away from the main camp. 

"I've got a name for our third suspect." Sofia told her boss. A minute ago a name popped up, that seemed to belong to the third bug man.  
"And I talked to the mayor. He said, he kept it low on his boy because of politics. A son, who runs away, isn't good for his image."  
"Image is more important than family?"  
"You don't become powerful by listen to your heart, Sofia."  
"Lucky me I put family over work, so I don't have to wake up alone one day, have to blame myself I'm alone because I didn't care about the ones I love, who love me."  
Her boss smiled. "And that's why I talked to the mayor and not you. Get a cop, your cop, and talk to the guy. If we're lucky, the case is closed tonight."  
"And we all keep our jobs."  
"You think our jobs are at risk?"  
"Maybe we have to change a few things in the lab? Rearrange a few things? Sounds like a lot like heads are about to roll."  
"We won't give anybody a reason to let heads roll."  
"Some people make reasons up…but I leave this alone and go back to my man number three."  
"Good."  
"I'm not good, I'm the best." Sofia took her cell phone out and grinned. "Hey Don, I need your protection, got a name for number three, can you pick me up?"  
"I'm on my way. Don't go there alone, lieutenant."  
"Hey, I called you because I want you there with me - and because my boss is behind me and will kill me when I go somewhere without you. I wait outside for you. Hurry up." She turned, smiled at her boss, who shook his head.   
"Curtis, you will get yourself in trouble one day."  
"Talk to the captain, my mother, Trouble is my second name. And second nature."  
"I talked to your mother…and I'm glad she's in Vegas."  
"A lot of people are happy she's in Vegas - except for the people in Vegas. She'd kick some asses here. No matter in how expensive pants they are in."  
"Out, Curtis!"   
"Yes, Sir!" The blonde grinned and left the hallway to get her kit. Time to see if man number three was Mister Right. They say three time lucky, right? 

A rose was hold in font of Sofia's face. Surprised the blonde tried to step back a little bit and ended in front of the body of somebody.   
"Delivery service."  
She turned and looked straight into the green eyes of Lou Lee.   
"What are you doing here?"  
"Well." He handed her the rose. and an envelope "I went to your house, you weren't there so I figured you're working overtime. Tomorrow is premiere night, you need your two tickets. You are coming, aren't you?"  
"Why do you know where I live?"  
"I've got friends." He smiled. "Worried, I might come along at night and surprise you in your bed?"  
"No, but if you're there, I'll shoot you. Ore Sara will and I give her an alibi."  
"You're a cruel woman. Are you coming tomorrow?" He cocked his head, gave her the puppy eyes.   
"Maybe."  
"Good. I want to see you there. Are you bringing your beautiful girlfriend?"  
"Maybe."  
"If not, will you be my woman?"  
"What happened to your actress girlfriend? She wanted to get married."  
"A marriage does only work when both want to get married. Some women doesn't like it when the men doesn't want to be chained to her."  
"Are you afraid of commitment?"  
"Not when it's the right commitment with the right woman."  
"Nice try. Sara is my right woman, I've made a commitment to her."   
"You're married?"  
"No, but as soon as the state allows me to marry her, I will marry her."  
"Okay, I see I've still no chance against her."  
"No, sorry."  
"Anyway, I hope you'll be there tomorrow. With the brunette beauty."  
"You'll see. I've to go, time to go home and change."  
"Mhm, need a hand to change your clothes?"  
"I've got two helping hands waiting for me, thanks. Again, you're too late."   
"Ouch. Life can be so mean. I see you soon,."   
"See you, Mister Movie Star. Go and sign a few photos of your pretty face on your way out, my female colleagues are all around, staring at you. You made their day, make this day unforgettable by being nice."   
"I'm always nice, especially to women." He blew her a kiss, turned and walked towards the waiting women. Amused Sofia watched how her female colleagues were all over Lou Lee, not giving him a chance to leave without photos and signed papers.   
She got her tickets for the premiere tomorrow, he kept his promises; and flirted with her again. If she told this her girlfriend, the brunette would kick his ass tomorrow - in front of all cameras. That would be an interesting headline. 

When Sofia came into the break room she got the thumbs up from Greg.   
"Congratulation, you closed the case. Third time lucky."   
"Yeah." She smiled. "News travel fast." She left the interrogation room less than three minutes ago, only went to the bathroom, met Lou Lee and it seems like the whole lab knew about it. She got a pet on the shoulders on her way to here.   
"Our boss is very happy."  
"I'm glad he's happy, that gives us a better work environment. And I've to say, he is great in interrogation, he worked this guy really good. Squeezed all the details out of him."  
"He should join us more often."  
"Yes." Sofia sat down, took Greg's coffee. "Want more details?"  
"It was my case before I got pulled away, so yes, I want all details. Why did he kill him?"  
"He saw the money, Brandon was in a fast food shop, paid his burger, opened his wallet too much and his killer saw the money. After the boy left the restaurant, he followed him around for a few minutes. When they came to a quiet road, he approached him, tried to snitch the wallet, Brandon realized it, fought back, so he strangled him. When the boy was dead, he put the body behind a bush, got his car, loaded the body into it, got his bugs and drove to the place, where he dumped the body, leaving it as a feast for his bugs and other animals."  
"Was it the black jeep?"  
"Yes. Drunk or not, the eye witness was right."  
"What did the mayor say?"  
"I've no idea."  
"You didn't tell him? You found the name and address of this guy, you closed the case."  
"Greggo, sometimes it's worth more when you let somebody else take the glory for your work. This way you're in the wonderful position to have somebody with power owing you a favor. The next time I want a few days off or anything else, our boss will remember I let him have all the glory and I get my wish."  
"You're a player."  
"Only when I win." The blonde grinned. "And I don't care about the gratitude of the mayor, still don't like him."  
"He could be a help on your way up, supervisor, lab director."  
"Maybe supervisor one day, lab director, no thanks. I want to work cases, not papers."  
"You want to work with me."  
"That's too."  
"We have a reason to celebrate tonight when we have dinner with Grissom."  
"I consider a closed case not as a reason to celebrate, otherwise we had to celebrate quite often. Celebrations should be related to person, not work related. Why not celebrate that we'll be all together?"  
"Sounds good too. Did you tell Sara already?"  
"No, I want to tell her tonight, after dinner. Tell her, we can both sleep in tomorrow because I'm allowed to start later, after all the overtime I put into the case. She works late tomorrow too."  
"Nice. Why not the day after tomorrow? After you're back from your date with Lou Lee? The whole lab talks about him being here for you."  
"Gossip never dies."  
"Did you save me an autograph?"  
"I had no idea you're a fan."  
"His movies are great and I could score some point with my fiancé, she likes this guy and after I wasn't the perfect fiancé the last days, it might make her love me a little bit more again."  
"Greg, she loves you anyway." Sofia hugged him. "No matter if you bring her an autograph or not."  
"Yeah, but with an autograph she'd love me a little bit more." He said. No autograph, no photo, he had to buy a few flowers and pay for the dinner tonight. Whatever it took to make him more popular again. 

"I've to say, you look even more beautiful than you're usual." Sara sighed when Sofia came down the stairs. She could barely take her eyes off the blonde. Her girlfriend. All hers. And when the evening was over, she was the one, who could take off the red dress off this wonderful woman. Her woman.   
"Ditto. What happened to your dress?" Sara wore black pants, a brown shirt and flat shoes. It didn't look like this was a special dinner date for her; something the blonde liked. No special treats for Gilbert Grissom.   
"I didn't think this is a dress dinner. We're not celebrating anything, are we? Or did I miss a special day? Special day for us?"  
"No. If you don't want to celebrate seeing Grissom out of work again."  
"Like I said, no special reason." The brunette smiled, offered the other woman her hand for the last two steps and kissed her when they were eye to eye.   
"I love you."  
"Seven more nights and you can show me how much you love me - the whole night."  
"Babe, we both have Monday and Tuesday off, you can be sure, there won't be many more things than seeing the doctor and having sex."  
"That sounds like celebration."   
"Maybe it's celebration, maybe it's consolation."  
"Whatever it is, we'll be together." Sara squeezed Sofia's hand. "We're gone, guys, behave yourself."   
"Bring us the doggy bags." Tony answered from the living room.   
"You or the dogs?"  
"The bags for the dogs, the food for me."   
"Okay." The two women left the house and got into their car. Time to leave Silver Lake and drive over to Los Feliz to have dinner with Grissom, Greg, Jules and the twins. The restaurant was around three miles away from their house, normally they walked this distance, but in the high heels Sofia wore, it wasn't the best idea to have an evening hike.   
"Look, there's a family waiting for us." Sara smiled when she saw Greg and his family. She stopped the car next to them, got out and hugged her best friend. "You look great in the monkey suit. Why did you dress up?"  
"My fiancé likes me in the monkey suit."   
"Really? Scary. Is Grissom here?"  
"Haven't seen him."  
"Shall we wait or go inside?"  
"Inside, it's warm in the monkey suit, I need an aircon."  
"Good idea. Give me my baby."  
"You mean, my son?"  
"My baby." Sara took Eric out of the stroller. "Hey sweatheart, how are you? Did you miss me? Do I get a kiss?" She kissed the baby boy. "I love you cute little man, you will sit next to me tonight, won't you?"  
"Sofia will sit next to you." Jules said.  
"There'll be two seats next to me, one to my left and one to my right. One for my girlfriend and one for my baby."  
"Your baby can't sit alone, he needs a baby chair."  
"Doesn't matter, he gets one."  
Greg rolled his eyes. "I give up, she's obsessed. Take care of him, but don't run away with him."  
"Good idea, isn't it?" Sara kissed Eric again, earned a laughter and a wide smile. "He loves me."   
"I love you too, do I get a kiss as well?" Sofia asked.   
"Of course." The brunette kissed the blonde. "Lets get inside, daddy Greg melts in the monkey suit and Eric needs to get out of the sun. Too much sunshine isn't good for you, my baby boy."   
"She'll be such a great mom." Sofia sighed. It amazed her every time again how much Sara had changed from being afraid of doing something wrong with babies to getting obsessed with Eric and being a natural.   
Their ordered table had already two baby chairs as they requested and Sara put Eric in one and sat next to it. "See, now you sit next to me and if you want, you can have some of my food."  
"Actually, he had dinner before he came here, same for his sister." Jules said and placed her daughter into the other chair, between her and Greg, having Greg sitting next to Eric.   
"There are two more free chairs…I thought only Grissom will join us. Why did you order two more chairs?" Sofia asked her lover.   
"Just a feeling."  
"Your feeling is wrong, there he is; alone." The blonde waved to their former colleague. "Hey Grissom."  
"Hey guys, sorry I'm late."  
"No, you're not, we were early. Grissom, that's my beautiful fiancé Jules and our wonderful kids, Jorja and Eric."  
"Pleasure to meet you and congrats to get some sense of fashion into this man." Grissom said to Jules.   
"Thanks. I heard a lot of things about you - like how you told him not to play loud music."  
"Yeah, he never learnt."  
"Still hasn't."  
"The last time I got told off for loud music, it wasn't me who put on the music." Greg looked at Sara and smiled.   
"I took the blame."  
"And mysteriously you didn't get into trouble for it. I wonder why."  
"There were good reasons." Grissom said.   
"None of them work related. Not fair but…if I was cool with somebody getting away with it, it was Sara."   
The waiter approached their table. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our restaurant. Shall I take this chair away or is somebody else coming?"  
"No, we need the chair." Grissom said and smiled.   
"Very well. Any drinks for you or do you want to wait until you're complete?"  
"It won't take much longer."   
"Then I'll be back when you're complete."   
"Who is coming?" Greg asked.   
"Well, I thought after you brought your fiancé and Sara and Sofia are their own company, I get myself also some company, so I won't be the only one without a better half."  
"Who?" Did that mean Grissom was in a relationship? Now Greg was really curious for whom they were waiting. A secret date.   
"Why don't you have a little bit of patience and see for yourself?"  
"My fiancé is much better in being patient."   
"Comes with the job."   
"I heard you're very good at what you do." Grissom looked at Sara.   
"She's the best."  
"Actually I'm not and my cousin spent much more time with Sara, she did most of the work. I had to quit her case as I came too close to Greg and she wanted us together."   
"I'll love her forever for this."  
"I'm sure you talked her into seeing your cousin, the way I know Sara, she was more likely to quit therapy than looking for another therapist herself."  
"Sara can be very sensible - if she wants." Jules smiled. "Most times she was sensible when she was with me."  
"Good influence."  
"I don't know about that."  
"But I know who Grissom's date is." Sara said, getting the attention to her. "She just came into the restaurant. Heather."   
Sofia and Greg turned and their jaws dropped down when they saw the former dominatrix walking straight towards them. That was Grissom's date? He was involved with Lady Heather? Or Doctor Kessler, how she got called nowadays. That was more than a big surprise. 

Sara's hand found Sofia's. They had dinner and sat here with a few drinks, non alcohol for both of them. Heather's surprised appearance hadn't missed the effect of the group. Greg and Sofia were speechless for a minute, Jules had no idea who the woman was, only Sara seemed not to be very surprised. Like she had known about them before.   
"This is nice, we should have this more often." The blonde said quietly.   
"Yes we should. You're a lot more relaxed since we're all involved."  
"Don't tease me."   
"Sorry, it is too much fun. And it looks like Greg makes some points for the dinner."  
"Yeah, family time."  
"What are you whispering over there? Any secrets?" Heather asked.   
"No, only observations." Sara answered. "Did you come to L.A. only for dinner or have you been here longer?"  
"No, Gil called me yesterday and asked, if I'd like to spend a few days with him in Los Angeles. I could clear my book for four days and we will stay on the beach for some sunshine and swimming, won't we Gil?"  
"As long as I don't have to go swimming."  
"Oh, come on, we don't have the ocean around every day."  
"Yeah Grissom, be nice to your woman, otherwise she won't be happy and I can tell you, an unhappy woman in the house is worse than trouble at work." Greg said.   
"Don't you have the weekend off, Greg?"  
"Yes Sofia. Time for the family, we will drive to San Diego."  
"What? You barely spent time together the last days and then you want to take your fiancé to your parents? Dude, that's wrong. You don't take your girl to your parents for some good times, you take her to a hotel, to candle light dinner and long walks on the beach. Did you learn nothing? Gosh, I've to teach you more about women."   
"We are parents, there is no time for these things. Plus we, or I, upset my parents-in-law last weekend by not spending a lot of time at the appointment we had with them and when I cancel the appointment with my parents, they will all hate me."  
The blonde looked at her girlfriend. "We seriously need to have a serious conversation with Greg. Of course it's important to see the parents, but after the last couple of days, they deserve some time alone."  
"Why don't we take the twins and you have a love weekend?" Sara offered. "You know we both are happy with having them around, you can just go and have some fun. Alone. No children and no parents around. Time for yourselves."  
"You have to work."  
"I'm at home in the morning, Sofia in the afternoon. In between there is a cousin of your fiancé, who has time because her computer games date works. Leave them to us, we need the practice."   
"Sara, you're already perfect with them, no need for practice."  
"I can never be good enough. Please?"  
"Honey?"  
"Well…they want the twins, if Tanya says it's okay to take over while Sara and Sofia are away, why not? We do deserve some time alone and your parents are working, we can't make up for the last weekend."  
"True. Okay, you get the twins…I mean, Sara has our son already."  
"Yes, he's all mine." Sara smiled, took Eric out of the child's seat and put him on her lap. "What do you think of a weekend with your godmother, Darling? Sounds good, doesn't it? We will have so much fun." She lifted the baby in the air, let him fly from the left to the right, made him laugh and kissed him.   
"You look very good with the baby." Heather said. "Are you planning on having one on your own?"  
"Yes we do."   
"And maybe." Sofia took Eric away from Sara, cuddled him and kept him in her arms. "We are having one next year."  
"Are you pregnant?" Heather asked.   
"We don't know yet."   
"Seriously?" Grissom seemed to be very surprised.   
"Yes."  
"You didn't tell me."  
"We tell you now."   
"This seems to be a night filled with surprises." Heather smiled.   
"Yeah, absolutely."   
"We can add one more surprise." Sofia said. "Can't we, Sara?"  
"I don't know, can we? And can I have Jorja? My baby got stolen, my arms are empty."  
"Here you go." Greg handed his daughter to his friend. "Don't think you can keep her until the weekend. Nor Eric. We take both home with us. Am I clear?"  
"What about tomorrow evening? Can we have them then?"  
"Aren't you having plans for tomorrow night? As far as I remember our conversation from this afternoon."  
"Yeah…Lou Lee came over to the lab and gave me the two tickets for the premiere tomorrow, Sara."  
"He kept his promise and even delivered the tickets personally, I'm impressed."  
"And still not very keen of going there, aren't you?"  
"Nope, not really."  
"Why don't we take the twins, which we both will enjoy, and let Greg and Jules go to the premiere? She likes Lou and he likes the movies."  
"Seriously?" Jules starred at Sofia. "You want to give away your tickets? To the premiere of a Lou Lee movie? Where you can possible meet him? See him close up?"  
"Honey…I wasn't that bad the last days." Greg grumbled.   
"Yes, you can have the tickets when we can have the twins for the night. Go out, have dinner, watch the movie, have a drink and don't worry about the twins, we take care of them. If Lou Lee wants to see me, he can give me a few more tickets or invite Sara and me to dinner. He knows that he won't have me without my better half."  
"And I can take them to daycare Wednesday morning. The nurses there know me, I picked them up a couple of times, our second bedroom is still prepared for them, there are no reasons why you shouldn't have a little foretaste of the weekend - and the twins too." Sara added. She liked Sofia's idea of giving the tickets away and taking the babies instead. What a great exchange - well, kind of exchange, they couldn't keep them for longer than one night, but two nights later, they'd be back with them for two nights. Sofia just made her very happy and the blonde knew it.   
"Deal, we take it. Before you change your mind. Lou Lee."  
"He has nice green eyes." Sofia agreed.   
"Not only nice green eyes."  
"Yeah…but if I say more, my girlfriend will give me trouble. I scored big times for giving away the tickets and getting the twins in our house, but my credit isn't unlimited."  
"You didn't want to spend the evening with him when he hit on you’re the first time, while we weren't a couple, this man is no threat." Sara smirked. She remembered everything of the evening, how annoyed she had been for being stuck in traffic, how she suggested Lou Lee should stick his head into a bucket of crushed ice and how she kissed Sofia for the first time. Really kissed her. It was the evening they became a couple. The evening when she decided to listen to her heart and not her head, telling her lies. Probably the best decision she ever made. Kissing the blonde on the beach, making her hers. 

8th of July Saturday

Sofia smiled and pulled Sara back in her arms. Five more minutes. It was way too early to get up at this time on a Saturday morning. The alarm clock could play her favorite songs as much as it wants, this didn't mean she had to listen to them.   
"Time to get up, cupcake." Sara kissed the neck of her lover.   
"Five more minutes."  
"And then you have to rush again, because you'll take another five minutes for this and five more minutes plus the twins are here and you have to kiss them goodbye, tell them to stay safe and…"  
"Okay, okay, I get your point. Do I get a kiss to conquer the day?"  
"You get two when you're in the kitchen, dressed and ready for breakfast."  
"You're very cruel today." The blonde sighed, bent over and kissed the brunette. "Lucky for you, I don't have such stupid rules." She kissed her lover again, more passionately. "And if I wanted, I could make you stay in bed for longer than five minutes."   
"Not the next two days."   
"Don't dare me too much."  
"Honey, you're so horny, it wouldn't take me five minutes to make you come." Sara smirked, kissed the forehead of her girlfriend and got up. "I prepare breakfast and coffee, see you in a few minutes in the kitchen." She left the bed.  
"I'm not horny!" The blonde grumbled and grinned. Maybe she was…a little bit…quite a lot …like the last ten days…so cold shower - again. Hopefully their baby appreciated the sacrifice they made.  
Fifteen minutes later she was in their little kitchen, the smell of fresh eggs, bacon and tea made her stomach remind her, she was hungry.   
"Mhm, full hot breakfast, what a treat. Only the coffee is missing."   
"You need energy for the day, first work and then the twins."  
"Are they still asleep?"  
"I heard Jorja, not crying, only making some sound like she was discussing with herself if she wanted breakfast or a little nap."  
"And Eric?"  
"Nothing from him, I checked on both of them before I got into the kitchen, they're fine."  
"When will Tanya be here?" The blonde sat on the edge of the kitchen counter and took a bit of the bacon out of the pan.   
"For lunch."  
"And you'll be back at ten?"  
"Yes. Weekend, summer, the forest will be full. Sorry."  
"Not your fault, it's the job." Sofia hugged the brunette. "I'll be awake when you come home."   
"Sounds good. Did your movie star ever asked where you have been on Tuesday? Or did he not realize you weren't there?"  
"He didn't call and I'm sure it was a good decision. Greg looked pretty happy on Wednesday and I'm sure, the evening was good for him, Jules and their relationship. While we had a lovely night with the twins."  
"Plus, we could snuggle up on the couch, kiss, watch our favorite TV show, play with the twins and pretend we're a family."  
"We are a family, at the moment a small one, with two dogs as children, soon with a baby."   
"Hopefully. Two more days." Sara put the breakfast on the table.   
"Less than forty-eight hours. Do you think we can…" Crying baby voices from the other room made Sofia stop.   
"Don't." Sara stopped her from getting up. "I have a look after them, you have breakfast. Your time is running. As usual it's faster than you are."  
"I want a kiss before I leave!"   
"You get two as soon as I'm sure the twins are all right." Sara left the kitchen.   
Sofia sighed. Her girlfriend was so domestic when it came to the twins. She even let her wait for kisses in the kitchen. Turning on the radio, she waited for the news. Did anything happen while she was asleep? If so, she wasn’t called in.   
"I think Milady is hungry." Sara carried the crying Jorja into the kitchen. "And she woke her brother up, who isn't happy about this."  
"I take care of the milk." Sofia left her breakfast behind to prepare the milk for the twins. She knew, when one twin was hungry it didn't take long before the other one was hungry too and then they had two crying babies. So it was better to finish her own breakfast on the way to the lab and feeding the twins now. The duty of a mother, they wanted the practice, they had it. 

"Hey, I thought I come over earlier to give you a hand with our godchildren." Tanya smiled when Sara opened the door.   
"Hi, they're in the living room, Eric sleeps and Jorja is busy crawling around. Her favorite destination are the dogs and Scooby hid already in the garden while Rantanplan lets her use him as a pillow or whatever she sees in him. He's good with babies."  
"Good to know for your baby. Is the rest out of house?"  
"Yeah, they all have work to do. Tony should be back soon, he works until noon in the computer shop."   
"No more TV shooting?"  
"No, his part is done, Sally on the other hand shoots a commercial this weekend. We can see them both on TV soon."  
"Maybe they can get us a meet and greet with stars. I mean, your girlfriend does have really good connections…can she get me a free ticket to Lou Lee too? And why sent Jules, she's engaged, there's no use for her to see him."  
"Because they deserved a night out together."  
"I'm your dentist, don't I deserve some special treatment too?"  
"You do, you can look after the twins."  
"As much as I love our babies, Lou Lee…he's…wow. I went to the place he lives, stood in front of the gate and took photos of the estate. How do we get in? If I call a crime scene for this place, can Sofia get me in?"  
"Sofia could get you in without a crime scene lie, all she has to do is let Lou know, she wants to see him."  
"She. Has. His. Number?"  
"Not that I know, but after we, or she, didn't show up at his premiere, he might come along and ask her where she had been."  
"To here?"  
"Apparently he knows our address."  
"Oh. My. God. I will stay here until he arrives and jump him! Your couch is mine!"   
"He's just a guy…who makes movies. There are thousands of them in the city."  
"He's not just a guy…oh come on, I mean, good, you love Sofia, she's the only one for you and all this romantic shit, but…hello? He's damn hot! Even when you're into women now, you have to admit he's top end."  
"He kept it cool when I told him to stick his head in a bucket with crushed ice because he hit on Sofia and as far as she told me, he was cool with having me at the premiere too."  
"See, he's gorgeous. The next time, let Sofia tell him, she has a beautiful friend, who admires him and wants to date him…and I don't care if he has a fiancé."  
"That's low, Tanya."  
"I know, I'm desperate, I didn't have sex in…"  
"I don't want to know!" Sara interrupted her. "Just go out tonight and let yourself get laid, there are plenty of guys in the clubs, who will be up for fast sex. No need to wait for an actor."  
"That's low."  
"Exactly where you are, drooling all over this man."  
"No, I don't want fast and cheap sex in a club, I want something more…stylish. Like a dinner date with Lou, a walk over his estate and then we can test all the bedrooms he has. I'm sure there are plenty in his house."  
"Tell you what, I tell Sofia to invite Lou Lee for barbecue the next time she sees him..."  
"Wahoo!" Tanya pulled Sara in her arms and kissed her cheek happily. "I love you! I love Sofia! I love you both! You're the greatest!"  
"If you don't let go of me right away, I won't tell her." The brunette pushed the dentist away and shook her head. "Keep some dignity."  
"Sorry."  
"If I tell Don how you act, he'll laugh his ass off and won't gamble with you anymore because you're just one of these crazy chicks."  
"Hah, tell him a hot blonde movie star comes over for dinner and he'll act the same way."  
"No, he's not into blonde." Sara smiled. "The last time he tried, she threatened to kick his balls up his throat."  
"Sounds like Sofia."  
Sara only grinned and picked Jorja up. "You know, when you're a little bit bigger, you can try to ride on Rantanplan, he might be a good horse. Until then, be nice to him, don't pull on his ears or the tail, he doesn't like that." The girl smiled at her. "And for tomorrow, we get up with Sofia and then I put you into the car and take you and your brother up to Griffith Park, we'll have a nice morning walk to Mount Hollywood, how does that sound?"  
"Like a serious workout."   
"Do you want to join us?"  
"About what time are we talking?"  
"Sevenish."  
"It's Sunday."  
"So? It's summer, there's no shade."  
"I'm having a game fight tonight with Don, that can take until the morning, he has tomorrow off. Can I have a rain check on the trip?"  
"You prefer a video game over your godchild? When Jules hears this, she will make somebody else Jorja's godmother. Did you hear what your godmother said, Sweety? She prefers beer and video games over you. Not a nice godmother you have."  
"Okay, okay…can we say nine?"  
"Eight."  
"Deal." Tanya sighed. "Bugger, that will be a short night. We climb up the bloody mountain, take some photos, go back and I'll go straight back into my bed."  
"No you won't, you're on baby duty from one."  
"I sleep for an hour or so on your couch…you make do strange things." Tanya said to Jorja, who only opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. The perfect reply. 

When Sara came home she found Sofia downstairs in the living room, watching a movie with Don and Tanya.   
"Hey."  
"Hello hard working woman." Sofia opened her arms to signal her lover, she come over and hug her.   
"I need a shower before I hug you. Eight hours walking and working in the sun, I stink."  
"Need help with the shower?"  
"No, then it will take even longer. I'll be back in a few minutes." The brunette blew the blonde a kiss and went upstairs.   
"She leaves me alone, not even a kiss."  
"Well, she wants to shower, a woman doesn't like when she stinks, a man wouldn't mind. He'd sit down, fart, tell you to get him a beer, put his legs on the table and changes the program."  
"Bullshit!" Don protested. "Before I come home I take a shower at the department and also all the other things are just lies."  
"When you were on my chair, you sweat a lot."  
"Because like every other normal human being, I prefer to be eye in eye with a terrorist than a dentist. With a terrorist you know what to expect, a dentist is…unexpected terror."   
"You're such a coward, macho man."  
"Shut up, I wanna see the end of the movie."   
"Chick flick, says a lot about you."  
Don simply rose his middle finger and continued watching.   
"They are so sweet…oh, I love Hollywood romances." Sofia sighed, snuggled into Don's shoulder.   
"Talking about Hollywood romance…Sofia, can you talk to your movie star?"  
"Lou Lee? Why?"  
"Because, Sara had the great idea, you could invite him over here for a barbecue."  
"And you are his meat or the dessert?" The blonde asked, knowing why she should invite the movie star. And what Tanya had on her mind.   
"I can be both."  
Don started coughing. "Sure, he has a model and an actress on every finger, all he wants is a dentist."  
"Shut up, this is a woman only conversation. Sofia?"  
"I've no idea if and when he appears again."  
"You don't have his phone number?`"  
"No."  
"But…you could go to his place, he will let you in, he likes you. It's no problem for you to get pass security."  
"To tell him, we have a barbecue going on next Saturday and he's very welcome to join us?"  
"For example."   
"That's so…cheap." Don comment.   
"Shut up and watch your movie."  
"After I gave away the tickets and didn’t come to the premiere, I might not be that popular anymore."  
"Will you give it a try anyway?"  
"In case he comes around to see me again, I invite him for a barbecue, can make it sound like, it's an excuse for not showing up."  
"Thanks. That would be great. Maybe he can bring a cheap chick for Don with him."  
"You're here, one cheap chick is enough." Don said.   
"We can talk about that when Lou appears. The next days or weeks he should be busy promoting his new movie."  
"Poor man, seeing a lot of interesting cities, top end hotels, limousines, champagne, expensive food, sounds like horror." Sara came back into the living room, her hair still wet, she sat next to her lover, pulled her into her arms and kissed her.   
"Yeah, he has to do all these things without me, that makes you the lucky one."  
"Exactly." The brunette kissed the blonde again. "I'm the lucky one and I feel lucky with you in my arms."  
"Want me to take you upstairs? Check on the twins and go to bed? I've to get up at six again. And that's the time when I rush and don't help you with the twins."  
"No need to help me, my helping hand will take the twins with me up to Mount Hollywood at eight."   
Tanya groaned. Why did she agree?   
"Really? Cool. Take some nice pictures. Bed time?"  
"Yes. We know how the movie ends anyway." Sofia got up. "See you guys tomorrow, enjoy your fights - I mean the video game fights, not the other ones."  
"Night big sis, sleep tight." Don bent over and kissed Sofia's cheek. "Come here, sis-in-law, get your goodnight kiss too."  
Sara smiled, bent down and let Don kiss her too. "Good night baby bro-in-law. Be nice to the dentist, I need to see her soon and don't want to the target of her aggression."  
"I don't make you pay for the mistakes he does, Sara, don't worry." Tanya said. "Sleep tight, see you tomorrow, for our walk. Eight…almost midnight."  
"A little bit past midnight." Sara took Sofia's hand.   
"Good night John boy, Mary-Ellen and all the others." The blonde smiled.   
"Quiet now!"   
With laughter the two women left the room and walked upstairs, checking on the twins, who were sound asleep, tucking them in, giving each a good night kiss and left the room.   
"You know." Sofia took off her prosthesis. "Having the twins here is great, we should talk Greg and Jules into going away for the weekend more often."  
"Yeah, like every weekend? Maybe you're pregnant with twins too."  
"Maybe. Would be cool. Two times twins."   
"I know some cool godparents for them." Sara offered Sofia her hand to get off the bed. "Need a hand for the bathroom?"  
"Aren't you coming?"  
"I'm all set up for bed."  
"Then let me jump over and I'll be back with you ASAP. Kiss for the way?"  
Sara kissed Sofia twice. "Need one for the way back too, right?"  
"I love this woman. My woman." The blonde smiled and jumped on her right foot out of the room to the bathroom. They didn't spend much time together when they worked different shifts, but they always took some time for quality time together. Just the way it was supposed to be. 

"You know, I've got the video game to a movie of your beloved movie star." Don said and got a video game out of the shelf next to his couch. "Serious ass kicking part two. Want to play it?"  
"Sure, do you want to be Lou?" Tanya asked.   
"No, I leave that to you and kick his and your ass. Doubles the fun."  
"You like his movies too."  
"I do, but I don't understand what's special about him."   
"He kicks asses and looks good by doing it. Plus, his teeth are really nice."  
"His teeth? Seriously?" Don laughed.   
"I'm a dentist, I look for things like this."   
"Weird." Don put the CD into the console and handed Tanya a new beer.   
"Thanks. Did you play it before?"  
"No, I waited so you can't say, you lost because I know the game. No cheap excuses this time, Baby."  
"Don't call me baby, baby." Tanya started the game by entering their names. "Okay, so I assume this is like the last one. You and me running through the city, you try to escape, I get you, kick your ass and pull you into jail. How many times have you been behind bares? In real life."  
"Never."  
"Never? You never did anything to get you behind bars? Not even as a teenager? For getting drunk under age?"  
"My dad is a cop."  
"Oh, special vitamins."  
"No, I knew where they would look, so I made sure to be at another place." He grinned and started the game. "Let the game begins." He let his figure jump on a garbage container and climbed up a ladder onto a roof of a storage building, while Tanya tried to follow him. His figure was on the left hand side of the TV, on a different building. Having her figure on one eye, trying to figure out where Don's figure was with the other, she continued running until she was stopped by a gang of teenager with baseball bats. Time for her first fight.   
"Are you in trouble? Need some help from the bad guy?"  
"No, I can handle this bunch of idiots myself, don't get yourself too comfy wherever you are."  
"Just past a gym with an Arnold Schwarzenegger look-alike. Come on, don't make me rob an old woman because I'm bored."  
"Why don't you pick on one of your own size?" Tanya's figure kicked the last attacker into the corner and continued her chase. "Gym, mhm? There are a dozen of them…oh, I see, you're at the big cinema…heading north…I get you."  
"Yeah, sure." Don checked on where Tanya was, changed directions and vanished into a building. "Time to get some money." He pushed a man aside, jumped on a counter, shot the clerk and emptied the check-out and took off.   
"You killed an innocent man."  
"He was in my way."  
"You get the needle for that."  
"Who wants to catch me? You?"  
"Oh yes." Out of the blue Tanya's figure stood in front of Don's. "So, now I kick your ass and then I pull your sorry ass into jail."  
"Sweet dreams, Baby."   
"Stop talking, chick-flick lover."   
"I'm gonna nail you to the ground." He got in fighting position.   
"You'll kiss the ground." She started to attack him and got thrown over the shoulder and fell hard on the ground. His figure turned, kicked her into the sides and made her flew half a yard before he turned and ran away.   
"Coward. Come on, get up."  
"You got a kick in your kidneys, doctor, it takes some time before you're back on your feet. In real life."  
"Really? Get the fuck up!" She pressed the buttons of the controller. "Finally, come on, lets catch the sorry excuse for a bad guy."  
"Don't worry with that, he's all over you!" Don's figure jumped on top of her, smashed a keg on the head of the chaser, who went down and stayed there. Deep red letters appeared on Tanya's side of the screen, telling her, she was dead.   
"Fuck!"   
"Hah! I gotcha, bitch!"   
"You only won because the fucking controller was stuck."  
"Sure."  
"I couldn't get the figure off the ground."  
"Because I hit you, you're a loser when it comes to self-defense, it has nothing to do with the controller."  
"Of course it has. Get me a working controller and I kick your ass."  
Don grinned, bent over, searched in a box and came up with an old fashioned joystick. "What about this one? Do you think you can manage it? Or is too much a challenge for you?"  
"A joystick? Are you kidding me?"  
"Well, you can't handle a high end controller, maybe you have to get back in time and try it with an old joystick. Two buttons, less to control, maybe you can handle it." He let it dangle in front of her face. "Come on, give it a try, give your sweety Lou Lee a chance to catch the bad guy, how do you want to explain to him, his character lost after a three minutes? He won't be impressed with you."  
"A joystick?"   
"Can't get worse than with a controller, can it?"   
She took the joystick, put it aside, leant over, got close to his face. "This only joystick I play with, is this one." Her hand ran over his crotch. "And I can promise you, this won't be a disappointment!" 

10th of July Monday

"Where is she? Why isn't she here? She's late. Why?"  
"Honey, doctors are always late." Sara took Sofia's hand. They were in doctor Blumfield's office, ready to hear if the blonde was pregnant or not.   
"How can you be so relaxed?"  
"I'm not, but I try to stay calm for you."  
"Sorry…I feel like…running out, drag her here and make her answer all our questions…hey, I could get my own blood, we drive to the lab and test it ourselves."  
"No, we let the doctor do it, she knows best what to do."  
"If she ever shows up."  
"Okay, when you promise to stay here and wait, I tell you a very interesting news, you have no clue about and absolutely want to know."  
"What?"  
"No, first we wait and when we're home I tell you."  
"Is it…good?"  
"Yes."  
"Will I like it?"  
"Most definitely."  
"Then you should tell me now, maybe it helps me being pregnant."  
"No, it won't."  
"How can you know?"  
"I'm a smart woman."  
"You're a mean woman - and a smart one." The blonde pouted a little bit but couldn't hide her smile. "I love both parts of you and all the other ones too. Actually I love everything of and about you. I'm filled with love for you."  
"Oh, these are the words I want to hear in my office, very much in love couples." Doctor Blumfield came into the room.   
"Finally, where have you been?"  
"Busy, sorry to keep you waiting, Sofia. Sara. How do you feel?"  
"Tell me if I'm pregnant and I tell you how I feel."  
"You are not an easy patient."  
"I heard that before." Sara grinned and got the evil eyes from her lover. She wasn't an easy patient because she wanted answers. Two long weeks she waited for this moment, dreamed of it every night. If she wasn't pregnant, she had to wait up to three month before they could try it again. Then it would be October.   
"Any signs of early pregnancy?"  
"All of them, mostly in order I read them."  
"Okay, so we can't rely on that. What about the famous feeling about being pregnant?"  
"Every since I got the injections."  
"You are a hard case. All right, let me get some blood and I can tell you more."  
"How much time do you need?"  
"Do you want to do it yourself, CSI Curtis? Process your own blood in your own lab?" The doctor asked amused, like she had listened to them a minute before.  
"The idea came up…my girlfriend told me not to do so."  
"Smart woman." Doctor Blumfield smiled. "Clench your fist a few times so I get a nice blood vessel. Oh, there is one, smiling at me."  
"I'm pretty sure my blood vessels are more crying than laughing, knowing you will attack them."  
"Shall I not do it and you wait for a few more weeks until the ultrasound shows us if you're pregnant?"  
"No! Get the damn blood and give us answers!"  
"Impatient."  
"Put it under mood swings, I'm sick and tired of being without answers."  
"Aren't we all?" Doctor Blumfield got the blood. "Thank you very much. I get this to the lab and let you know what turns out."  
"Ten minutes, right?"  
"I need to get to the lab, it's in the other building, give me twenty, okay? Or better half an hour, so you won't get crazy when it takes a minute longer."  
"Half an hour? That's like…"  
"Much better than being somewhere without a lab around, where it takes up to a week to get an answer. Consider yourself as lucky, take Sara out for some second breakfast and come back in half in hour. And don't get too excited until you haven't got the result."  
"Hard to be not excited." Sofia got up. "Muffin and hot chocolate?" She looked at Sara. "It might calm me down a little bit."  
"Sure. See you in thirty, Doc."  
"Take your girlfriend away, give her chocolate, that will relax her."  
"Or excite her even more…in either way, it will make her happy." Sara took Sofia's hand and pulled her out of the doctor's office. Another thirty minutes, they could do it. What were thirty minutes compared to the two weeks, they just waited? And like the doctor said, they shouldn't be too excited. The odds for a pregnancy were against them, they needed some extra luck. But after all they had been through, didn't they deserve some extra luck? 

"I hate waiting." Sofia took her spoon and drowned the cream in her hot chocolate, they ordered in the little café opposite of the doctor's office. Not even a hot chocolate with a lot of cream could make her calm down.   
"Twenty more minutes, we're getting closer to an answer. Want a muffin?"  
"No…I can't eat…I can't really drink, but I need to do anything…if I was a smoker, I'd smoke one cigarette after the other."  
"If you were a smoker and smoked while we waited on an answer of the question if you're pregnant with our baby, I'd staff the cigarette down your throat, suffocate you this way. A two weeks pregnant women isn't supposed to smoke. And if you ever do something equal stupid, you can consider yourself as a single. I can't stand women, who harm their unborn child because they can't handle their addiction or moods."  
"I keep that in mind, not that I planed to do anything to harm our baby. Right. Uhm…maybe I want a muffin…or a donut? Both? Cake?"  
"Drink your hot chocolate and stop making me nervous."  
"Kiss?"  
"No."  
"No?" Sofia looked shocked at her girlfriend. "Why not?"  
"First you drink your hot choc, then I get a choc kiss."  
"Since when are you the chocoholic?"  
"It's an extra on your lips, I like little extras."  
"Like me?"  
"Love you."  
"Sounds better than a 'no' to my kiss question." The blonde sipped on her chocolate, enjoyed the taste of rich chocolate and cream. Nothing better than chocolate in the morning. Or afternoon. Or evening.   
"Great stuff, they know what women want when they're waiting. I want my kiss now. Please."  
"Demanding." Sara bent over to kiss her lover, but before their lips could touch, both of their cell phones rang. Text messages.   
"What a bad moment." The blonde sighed. "Just like in the movies, when the main couple isn't supposed to kiss before the end."  
"Or not at all, if it's a drama."  
"We both prefer romance - or horror. Well, you do."  
"Nothing better than a sappy movie in your arms playing the best parts of it afterwards." The brunette smirked and took her cell phone.   
"True." Sofia agreed and looked on her cell phone. Text message from an unknown phone. Did one of her friends have a new number? She opened the text and forgot to breathe for a moment before she started screaming, pulled Sara in her arms and kissed her passionately. Not realizing the brunette did exactly the same.   
"You've to…ohmygod…I'm…  
"Pregnant!" Sara finished the sentence and kissed her lover again. "I got the same text."  
"Really? Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Ohmygod!" Sofia pulled Sara in her arms, kissed her again and snuggled deep into her arms, seeing the critical looks on the face of the other people. "Sorry guys, it's just…I'm pregnant." She smiled apologetic.   
"Yeah, we'll have a baby." Sara smiled, kept the blonde into her arms.   
"Congratulation." The woman at the next table said with a smile. "How far are you?"  
"Second week…we'll be parents in ten months." How understanding people were when you told them you just got the news about your pregnancy. Especially when they were in a café opposite to a doctor's office, that helped women get pregnant.  
"That sounds like a reason to celebrate." The waitress said. "Cake? It's on the house."  
"Oh…that sounds great…but the message says: congratulation, you're pregnant, I want to see you in my office. I guess we have to see the doctor first…do you think it's a bad sign?" The blonde asked the waitress. She must have been through this a couple of times, working in the café opposite of the doctor's office.   
"No, she just wants to make sure you don't take off before she talked to you. Go and see her, if you're still in the mood for cake afterwards, there'll be a slice of cake waiting for you; on the house."  
"Thanks. Come on Honey, we've got an important appointment."   
"Yes." The brunette smiled. They were pregnant. They beat the odds and had their luck. Hand in hand they walked back to the doctors office, unable to talk because they were too happy to express their feelings with words. But every few steps they stopped for a kiss. Sofia was pregnant! They would be a family. A real family with a baby.   
After they knocked on the door to the doctor's office they were called in.   
"I can see happy faces." Doctor Blumfield said.   
"Absolutely, I feel like kissing you, you made my…our day …week…year!" Sofia grinned.   
"Leave the kisses to your girlfriend."  
"Thanks for the messages, that's a nice service."  
"I was sure you wanted your answer ASAP and before I have you pacing up and down the hallway or driving everybody in the café nuts, I thought we sent both of you a text, starting with the most important news and then the order to come over before you disappear to celebrate."  
"The waitress promised us a slice of cake on the house for the celebration."  
"That's what they usually do. So, mothers to be, how do you feel?"  
"Pregnant." Sofia grinned. "I feel like eating chocolate the whole time.  
"Honey, you feel like eating chocolate the whole time." Sara chuckled.   
"Now I've got a great excuse. Okay doc, tell me, what I've to do, I'm sure there are a lot of rules."  
"Depends…do you want to keep your baby?"  
"Of course!"  
"Good, and you know that the first twelve weeks are crucial. Unfortunately it's not uncommon to lose your baby during this time, so it's important you are careful. Means, no smoking, no alcohol, no recreational drugs, you do take prescribed medication, did you change the one I wrote down?"  
"Yes, my doctor gave me something else, I left the new medicine with your assistant and she said, it should be fine."  
"Good, I've a look at it again, but it should be fine, your doctor knows what to do too. Are you in contact with anybody, who has rubella virus?"  
"What's that?"  
"German measles. Check with your housemates if they have or had it. The twins of your friend, you take care of, are they in day care?"  
"Yes…can they have it this early?"  
"They shouldn't, but be careful. Lets get to food….healthy food is important. Nobody will complain when you have some chocolate, as long as you have also enough vitamins. Caffeine should be banned too."  
"We changed our coffee to a decaf coffee or tea…it sucks, doesn't wake you up, but better than nothing."  
"Do you not like tea?"  
"No I drink it anyway."  
"Good. What about cats?"  
"No cats, only two dogs."  
"When you pick up after your dog be very careful, there is a possibility you catch toxoplasmosis. Being a CSI, you work with chemicals, try to stay away from them. Talk to your supervisor, health care, they will know what to do. Stay out of hot spas and saunas, too much heat isn't good for your baby."  
"Am I allowed to do anything at all?"  
"Eat fruits, vegetables, drink water, have gentle walks. Take it easy. Your baby is protected, but, like I said, the first twelve weeks are crucial."  
"Can we have sex again? Or will the torture go on?"  
The doctor laughed. "Well, you know, some doctor recommend you don't have sex for three weeks after the IV injection…"  
Both women groaned.   
"Maybe you want to consider separated rooms."  
"No way! It's hard enough this way, not having Sara in my arms is…impossible."  
"Yeah, that would make it impossible to sleep." Sara agreed.   
"I was kidding, you can have sex again, but, like all the other things, take it easy. Sex won't harm the baby, but be careful with your belly. It's safe in there but nothing is absolutely safe. Especially not the next ten weeks. Think of carrying around a fragile vase in a box, wrapped up with bubble paper. It's safe but it's not indestructible."  
"Okay. Gosh, so many rules…I wonder how some women manage to have a baby when they never take care of themselves nor the unborn child."  
"Mother Nature does most of the work, but it's never wrong to support her. I want to see you again in a month."  
"Can you tell us if Sofia is pregnant with one or two babies? She had two eggs injected."  
"Sara, I had her blood in my lab, how am I supposed to tell you if she's pregnant with one or two babies this way?" The doctor smiled.  
"True, stupid question. You can tell us the next time?"  
"I might be able to tell you the next time, yes. Sofia will be six weeks pregnant then, usually you can see if there are twins using ultrasound. Can you wait for four more weeks?"  
"Yes, what is most important is, she's pregnant at all and everything is fine so far."   
"If you have any problems, experience something, that doesn't feel right, if you bleed, you need to come here ASAP so I can check on you, okay?"  
"Yes."  
"Good, now you get your new appointment at the desk and then you can have your cake. Congratulation again."  
"Thanks. And thanks for making all this possible."  
"It's my job."  
"A great job." Sara got up. "Come on Honey, time for a new doctor date and then cake."  
"Will you come with me to the next appointment?"  
"I'll be with you on all your appointments. Our child, our responsibility. Talking about responsibilities, we should let the father know the test was positive. He'll be over the moon too."  
"Yes." Sofia smiled. Don had been as nervous as they had been. It looked like they had to celebrate tonight when he was back…after Sara and Sofia celebrated alone in their room! Some things couldn't wait. 

They barely made it to their level of the house before the first clothes were ripped off and tossed away, the door had been closed with a kick and then there was nothing in the world than Sara and Sofia. Yes, they knew they had to be careful but feeling and tasting the other one after two weeks was so good, it couldn't be bad.   
"The last two weeks were the hardest in my life. As much as I want our baby and as happy as I am that you're pregnant, I really, really needed you today." Sara pulled Sofia closer in her arms and kissed her again. It was so good to be skin to skin, no clothes in between. They didn't sleep naked the last two weeks to make sure, they wouldn't break the no sex rule. Or, to make it less possible to break it.   
"Tell me about it, it felt like we didn't have sex in ages. I missed your touch so much."  
"Never again."  
"No, one baby is enough. Or maybe we'll have twins. We'll know in a month. I feel good, so the baby must be happy too."  
"Hopefully." Sara's hand stroke softly over Sofia's belly. "Our baby. How are you baby? Irritated by what happened? I hope you liked it, it will happen a few more times. We love you and we love each other, so you will experience more sex. It was hard to stay away from each other for two weeks, we did it for you, to make sure, you're all settled. And we'll continue to look after you, for the time you're in Sofia and for the rest of your life." Carefully the brunette kissed the belly of the blonde. "I can't wait to see you, have you in my arms and kiss you."  
"You'll have two cool moms and a cool dad…and your grandmother, my mother…well, you'll love her because she'll spoil you. That reminds me, should turn on our cell phones again, what do you think, Darling?" After they sent their friends and Sofia's parents a text that the test was positive, they switched off their cell phone to celebrate without being interrupted all the time. There should be a couple of messages left - and probably complains about not being available to congratulate."  
"We mentioned, we'll celebrate now alone and be available for the other later." Sofia bent over to get her cell phone. For Sara, who got the left breast of the blonde in front of her eyes, it was more an invitation to capture the nipple and suck softly on it. The cell phone dropped on the floor, the blonde pulled the brunette on top of her and the calling their friends and family was forgotten. 

"One more try?" Sara smiled half an hour later. "Back to the rest of the world?"  
"This time you reach for your cell phone - not that I didn't like how you made me drop mine. It was really…arousing. Inspiring."  
"Mine is right next to the bed, no need to bend over. Sorry."  
"What a wasted chance. Hey Sara?" Sofia took Sara's hand.   
"Yes?"  
"I love you."  
Sara pulled her lover into her arms and kissed her softly. "Love you too. And, as much as I hate myself for saying this now because it's so wrong, but…we should keep the comment of the doc in mind about sex and the third week…I'm a little bit scared we lose the baby because of the sex…while the idea of not having sex for another week is…awful…I know she said, if we're careful the baby should be fine, but we also know, the last two weeks we couldn't sleep together because the egg has to settle in. What, if it's not settled in?"  
"The doc said I'm pregnant, so it should be settled in. But I know what you mean, I had the same thoughts. Another week is…a horrible thought…but…maybe…do you think we can manage three more days? Like a compromise? If we didn't screw it up the last two hours."  
"We screw ourselves, nothing up. I hope." Sara tried to smile. "Three more days, huh?"  
"Eternity. Lets start with talking to our friends. You get your cell phone, I get mine…no more taking chances…deal?"  
"Bad deal, but yes." Sara kissed Sofia's cheek. "We're slaves of our lust."  
"No surprise with such a sexy girlfriend. And I talk for both of us."  
"Smuggy." Sara got her cell phone and switched it on. A few seconds later it started beeping, same with Sofia's. They both missed messages and calls.   
"My mom called like half a dozen times and her messages aren't really nice." Sofia laughed.   
"Don sent me a text, said we should call him when we're done with celebrating. He knows we weren't available, smart man, the father of our child."  
"He is. I call him, this way my mother can't call me…do you have messages of her on your cell too?"  
"Of course. Telling me, I should get my attention from you to her, as her daughter-in-law I owe her a few answers."  
"Now you see the true side of my mom…the one you were scared of before we went to Vegas the first time."   
"I keep that in mind. Okay, my cell phone is on silence, call Don and after that, we call your mother. Sorry, but he's the father, he has to be the first one we talk to."  
"I'm with you on this - and can tell your mother the exact sentence."  
"No, I make myself unpopular later. It's okay, she'll calm down fast, it's not good for me to be upset - it's even worse for the baby, her grandchild."  
"Good point." Sara smiled, snuggled into Sofia's arms and closed her eyes.   
The blonde dialed Don's number and waited until he picked up his work cell phone.   
"Lieutenant, how are you?"  
"Very good."  
"I bet so after two hours with your CSI. What can you tell me about our project?"  
"Second week, we can't really celebrate, the first twelve weeks a crucial, the doctor gave us a long list with things, we can't do, have to consider and no-no's. Or me. In four and a half weeks I'll be back with her, then we should get an answer if I'm pregnant with one or two babies."  
"Want the father to be around?"  
"Definitely if he can make it. Wednesday, nine in the morning."  
"I let my captain know I need that day off. Family issue."  
"When will you be back?"  
"Around six, I hope."  
"Perfect, what do you think about a barbecue celebration?"  
"Shall I get us anything?"  
"No, we prepare everything, you come home, have a seat, get our cold beer and steak."  
"Just like a married man, really nice. Will the other be there too?"  
"Well, we haven't talked to them, you're the first one, as you're the father. But we'll invite them."  
"Good, big family celebration. I look forward for that. See you tonight and give Sara a kiss. Or two."  
"Might be three. Later daddy." Sofia ended the call, turned and kissed her lover softly. "This one is from Don." She kissed her again. "This one too." And another kiss. "This one is from me and there'll be a few more later."  
"You should talk more often to Don on the phone."  
"Because you want me to kiss you or because he sends the kisses?"  
"Does it matter? There are always your lips on mine, right?"  
"Absolutely right."  
"Let me call my mother-in-law, I haven't talked to her in a while…does Don tell his parents? Or do we do that?"  
"I bet he's already on the phone."  
"A little break from the police work." Sara dialed the number of Marie's cell phone, the work phone, as the captain was at work today.   
"What took you so long? Okay, forget this questions, I know the answer. How can you let me be in a nimbus this long?"  
"Hey Marie, I'm also happy to hear your voice. Sorry, we needed our own celebration and you knew we're pregnant. It's not like we can tell you any more details now."  
"Does your better half hide somewhere?"  
"No, she's in my arms, right where she belongs. I wanted to talk to you."  
"And what do you mean with you're pregnant. I thought only Sofia is pregnant."  
"She is pregnant with the baby, I'm pregnant in my mind. All the rules the doctor told her to stick to the next months will be my rules too - beside the carry heavy stuff thing. I'll carry for her the heavy things, she has to carry the baby."  
"Good to know. What else did the doctor say?"  
"That it's great we're pregnant, but the first twelve weeks are crucial, so we won't have a big celebration until week thirteen. I hope you and Mark will be here then."  
"We do plan to visit you soon, sooner than in ten weeks."  
"Really? Cool. When?"  
"Maybe next week, we have to check with our work. You don't have a few days off, do you?"  
"No, not during the summer holidays. But it would be great to have you here anyway. We prepare the room for you. Honey, your parents will come over."  
"Mom, I'm pregnant, you have to be nice to me!" Sofia called into the phone.   
"I'm always nice to you."   
"Mhm…sure…can we call dad too?"  
"Not until four this afternoon, he is in an important meeting. I sent him a text message, when he has a short break, he might call you. So stop your private celebration and be available for other people."  
"Yes. We need to prepare dinner anyway, a barbecue small party celebration, with Don, Jules, Greg, the twins, Kyle, Lynn, Sally and Tony." Okay, maybe the little party was a little bit bigger. But they couldn't left one of their closest friends out.   
"Take it slow, Honey, you heard the doctor."  
"Yes I did. Don't worry, we take care of your rookie."  
"Good. I need to go back to work and call you when I know more about our trip to L.A.. Or tonight, when your father is back home."  
"Enjoy work, kick a few asses, there are only four months left to do that, next year you have to change diapers and be a loving grandmother."  
"I'm sure she's perfect in this job too." Sara said. "Talk to you tonight, Marie. Make sure the grandmother of our baby is safe."  
"Always. Talk to you tonight, loves."  
Sara kissed Sofia's forehead. "Now, we have informed the two most important people, time to let the friends know too. Who do you want to call?"  
"Well, you want to call Greg, as he is your best friend and Jules, because you're so close to her - and I'm not jealous! I call Tony and Sally. Maybe they're at home, I didn't check when we came back. There were other things on my mind."  
"Really? How comes?"  
"Don't know. Must have been something with a woman, they always distract me."  
"Just any woman?"  
"Nah, a sexy brunette." Sofia kissed Sara softly. "Very sexy and mine."   
"Call the movie stars and don't forget Kyle and Lynn, they'll be waiting for more details too. I cal Tanya, maybe she wants to come over too."  
"Baby party. You hear that, baby? Your first party and you don’t have to worry what to wear. Lucky you. Not that you ever have to worry about that when we have a party here, you can wear whatever you want." Sofia stroke softly over her belly. Her first party as a pregnant woman. A nice experience.   
***  
"Didn't you want to tell me something?" Sofia remembered when they were preparing the barbecue.   
"I did?" The brunette stopped to think about what she wanted to tell her lover.   
"Yes, you said so while we were at the doctor's office."  
"Mommy lieutenant!" Kyle came into the garden, greeted the dogs. They were all over him, after he hadn't been around for a week or two. After he had his arms free, he pulled Sofia in his arms and hugged her. "Oh, I'm so happy and proud, you'll be a great mother."  
"Thanks, we're also very happy."  
"I bet you are. Nine more months, mhm? Enough time to get prepared…oh, and do me a favor. When my better half comes around, sees you're pregnant, tell her only about the nasty details, will you?" Kyle grinned.   
"Oh, the Missus asked for a family?" The blonde chuckled.  
"Less than a year, way too fast for family. Guess, she's getting in a hurry, something about nature and getting old and such shit."  
"Oh dear, poor man."  
"A reason why I won't tell her you're pregnant for a couple of weeks - until it's obvious. Women. Oh, I got something for you." He got a bottle out of his backpack.   
"Grape juice?"  
"No more booze for you. Red wine is very good for your heart, I got you the non alcoholic version of red wine, red grape juice."  
"Thanks. That's a cute idea."  
"You get more when baby lieutenant is with us. Do you have a name yet?"  
"Kyle, we don't have a gender and there's still the possibility I lose it. So, lets start slowly."  
"Right, lets start with what Sara wanted to tell you." He smiled at Sara, who handed him a cold beer. "Thanks."  
"Right, what I wanted to tell you." Sara pulled Sofia on her lap, hugged her. "When I came down to the first floor yesterday, Tanya came out of Don's room. Now, they had the video game night, nothing special about that, but…the smile on her face looked not like she won video games."  
"You think they had…not a jump'n run game? More a jump'n hump experience?" Kyle asked with a wide grin.  
"You have such a lovely way with words." Sara chuckled.   
"But I nailed it, didn't I?"  
"I guess they did…did Don say anything, Sofia?"  
"No, not one word! He should tell his big sister when he's dating."  
"Maybe they're not dating, maybe they're only…playing around. He had lived like a monk long enough, it's about time he uses his…body completely again." Kyle looked at Sofia's belly. "I've to remember there's a baby around. His baby. So he kind of used his full body, but not in a fun way."  
"Thanks. Don and Tanya…very interesting. Will we ask him what's going or? Or lean back, observe and wait until he says something."  
"We wait until they talk to us - or one of them. Tanya didn't say a single word while we hiked up Mount Hollywood."  
"Maybe they're not ready to tell. Or don't know yet what exactly is going on. Sometimes you need a little bit more time." Sofia smiled.   
"Yeah, we see what happens. Where is he anyway?" Sara looked at Kyle.   
"He was about to finish when I left, so he should be here any second. Or, he got horrible toothache the last second before he left and needed to see a dentist, his dentist, for some…fast help. Pain release."  
Sofia looked at her watch. "It's after five, Tanya has appointments until six, if he wants to see her, he has to wait there…not likely. But maybe he needed something for their next date. Flowers. Candy. A new video game."  
"Condoms." Kyle added.   
"Kyle!"  
"What? He'll be a daddy soon, I doubt he wants to be a double daddy within a year."  
"He loves children."  
"Yeah, no reason to have kids with the chick you just started…dating."  
"You definitely spend too much time with the boys, you should be more here, to get your mind out of the gutter. Your girlfriend will appreciate this too."  
"She's a cop, she's the same."  
"Yeah, but not as bad as you are."  
"Can't be too bad, you spend your time with me. Sara, will you replace Sofia in the basketball tournament? I need a new partner. I'm better than Greg."  
"No, I stay with Greg, maybe we can talk Jules into joining us; or Tanya."  
"Right, she should be interested in being around us, playing with Don." Kyle smirked. "While your beautiful girlfriend is the referee and nobody will argue with her, she's a pregnant woman, so she's right." He finished his beer. "And as soon as we can see your belly is growing, I get you a shirt, saying 'this belly is private property! Keep your hands off!'."  
"Nice idea." Sofia didn't want everybody to touch her belly when it was obvious she was pregnant. Her belly belonged to her and Sara. Anybody else had to asked for permission to touch it first. 

21st of July Friday

"Baby? Baby, how are you?" Sara got on her knees and kissed Sofia's belly.   
"Baby is fine, the mother could use a kiss. If she's important enough to get kissed."  
"We'll see…yes, she is." Sara got up and kissed her lover. "How are you?"  
"Pregnant. My breakfast…why do I even bother to eat anymore?"   
"That bad? Yes. But, the bright side is, as long as I have morning sickness, I'm still pregnant. Four weeks, we're getting closer to our baby."  
"I can't see anything of it and I know every inch of your body."  
"You do…wanna check if everything is still on its place?"  
"Mhm." The brunette pulled the blonde into her arms. "Later. We have guests coming over tonight. Babies."  
"Right, our twins. The room is ready for them."  
"I can't wait until we prepare the room for our baby…although, it looks nice…do we need to prepare it at all? And where do we leave the twins? We will have them over, we need a place for them. Or baby sleeps in our room when they're over…so many decisions."   
"We go shopping." Sofia grinned. "Baby shopping."  
"We barely need anything, Jules has all the stuff we need and said already, we can have it."  
"Won't keep us out of the shop. Or do you believe, we won't buy anything for our baby?"  
"No." Sara laughed. They had already started to buy new things for the baby, telling each other to stay calm until they were sure, they would be parents next year. Somehow, excitement always won over sensible sentences.   
"But you are right, we need another room. I mean, when our baby is there, we don't have a spare room left. And when we're pregnant with twins, we're one room short. Your accountant won't like the idea."  
"Well, he can fu…figure the problem out himself. Baby, or babies, need a room, they get one. They gym has to go. Two more rooms and a bath room…oh boy, that won't be cheap."  
"Are you still insisting you pay all of it alone?"   
"Yes, we agreed it's my house, I pay for it, you pay your rent…and I'm not happy about your idea to pay more because of the baby."  
"Well, technically I need half a room more with the baby, or a third, the rest are your and Don's parts. Stop complaining or I pay even more and before you can do anything, your accountant has the money and makes the happy dance. Naked on his desk."  
The blonde made a grimace. "I think I feel sick!"   
"And for the rest: I think we can work some things out. Greg, Don and me can build the rooms, only the electric and water stuff have to be done by professionals. Maybe one of our friends know somebody, who can help us out for less money. We can dismantle cars, we can build a few walls, get some light on the ceiling. We might need an additional window around the kitchen area, but otherwise can we turn the gym into two bedrooms and a bathroom. Let me talk to the guys tonight."   
"Do it yourself rooms?"  
"Sure. It's not like we're unable to build something with our hands, we were or are CSIs, we can do it." The brunette kissed the blonde.   
"Okay, why not, when the guys help you, I'm afraid I can't really help a lot."  
"No, you will have a supervisor job, acting supervisor. You know how to do that."  
"Bitch."  
"Maybe I'll be your bitch later, keep your fantasy for yourself when our friends are over."  
Sofia laughed and pulled Sara back in her arms. It seemed like whenever they finished a project on the house, a new one appeared. But it was true, if Sofia was pregnant with twins, they needed a second room sooner or later. And it always came in handy when there was a guest room. Maybe they could make most of it on their own and the rest by professionals. It was worth a try and somehow they would pay for it. Without having her accountant coming after them with a knife. 

Sara took Eric in her arms. "Hey my baby, how are you? Did you have fun at day care?"  
"I'm sure he had, he started crawling." Jules hugged the other woman. "Now he can chase his sister. Give him a few more weeks and he'll walk into the forest and say hello to you."  
"The talking part might take a little bit longer. No pressure." Sara took Eric with her into the garden. "Look what we have here for you. A pool without water but thick blankets so you and your lovely sister can crawl around without picking up any dirt or crawl away when the grown-ups are lost in their conversation."  
"You prepared everything for your godchild."  
"Of course, next year that might be the pool for them to refresh. And another year or two later, they can have a water fight with baby. I hope."  
"Everything will work out." Jules squeezed Sara's hand. "Don't worry, getting pregnant was the most difficult part, the rest will be done by nature."  
"Yeah." Sara let Eric down in the pool. "All will be good."  
"It will." Jules sat Jorja next to Eric. "There will be three babies next year in your garden." Or four?"  
"Maybe." They walked to Greg, Sofia and Don, who sat around the barbecue. "How are you steaks doing?"  
"Just over English, turning into medium. Want one?"   
"Medium rare please. And I see somebody decided it's a beer night." She looked at her fiancé.   
"Yes." He offered her the bottle. "Want to have a beer night too?"  
"Who takes care of the twins?"  
"Me!" Sofia smiled. "I can't drink anyway, neither does Sara. Jorja and Eric are in the best hands and have a couple of beers and when you're too drunk to take your babies home, the room is ready for them anyway, they can just stay and sleep here. It's not like we don't have everything for them here."  
"Are you playing fairy on our relationship? First the premiere tickets, now the beer night."  
"We like happy couples around us. And the twins."  
"I can see that." Jules sat next to Greg and gave him the beer back. "Did you give them our present yet?"  
"No, I wanted you around when we do." He smiled and kissed her. "It's our present, so we have to give it to them."  
"Okay." She took the bag from under the chair and got a little box out. "For you, mothers."  
"Oh, thanks. It's your time to open it." Sofia handed it over to Sara.   
"Like Christmas, only warmer." The brunette opened the box. "Hugging teddies?"   
"Yes, if you have twins, there's one teddy for each, if you've one baby, they're together, like one bear."  
"Thanks. They're cute."  
"Like the two of you." Greg smiled. "So, what are the next plans for the baby?"  
"Well, baby made us decide, we need to get rid off the gym, sorry Don." Sofia said.   
"Another room?"  
"Yes. If we have twins, we need one more rooms and we want to keep a spare room for the twins or other guests. Which means, the gym has to go and give way for two more bedrooms and a bathroom."  
"Makes sense. And hey, this is L.A., south California, and we learnt, it never rains in Southern California, we can leave the gym stuff outside, have fresh air when we work out and cover them up in case it rains."  
"Good idea."  
"And what do you think about us building the rooms?" Sara asked. "I mean, the walls, not the plumbing and electric stuff. Do you think you can build a few walls, get doors in them and do the basics, like wall paper all these stuff?"  
"Of course! Hard physical work, better than any workout. Are in too, Greg?"  
"Sure. I like seeing Sara covered in sweat."  
Sara laughed while Greg got a slap from Jules.   
"Somebody gets in trouble with the Missus, poor Greg. She wears the pants, it's obvious." Don teased.   
"So what? She looks good in pants. While you, my dear friend, you might have your pants, but you don't have the guts to tell us about your better half."   
Don's face turned red when everybody looked at him. He hadn't said anything about him and Tanya, but the other had talked about it a couple of times.  
"I've no idea what you're talking about."  
"You sleeping with my cousin." Jules said. "Since almost two weeks. Do you really thought we don't realize that? Two CSI, a former CSI and a psychologist. We know what's going on, what is the hiding for? You're both not serious with the relationship and afraid, we give you a hard time? If you both just want some fun, we're fine with that, just stop pretending nothing happened, we're not stupid."  
"That's my woman, I love it when she's having the pants on, because she's so sexy with it. Without too, but that's not for you guys to see. So Don, what is your excuse?"  
"Did Tanya say something?"  
"Not a damn word and I'll give her a hard time for it when she comes here later. First she doesn't mention her divorce, now she hides her new…whatever you are. So, what are you? An affair or a relationship?"  
"We haven't talked about it."  
"You're too busy with…how did Kyle call it, Honey?" Sara asked amused.   
"Jump'n hump."   
"Right. I like that one, suits perfect for two video games junkies."  
"He knows…?"  
"Since almost two weeks, since he was over when we knew Sofia is pregnant. We all know it, Don, we only waited for you and Tanya to come out of the closet. It's not that bad you date her, or whatever you call it, what you have. For a dentist she's nice." Sara smiled.   
"She's my cousin, of course she's nice. What does she say about you becoming a dad?"  
"Uhm…congratulation."  
"That's it? Boy, you really haven't talked about your relationship, have you? We can do that when she's here."  
"Why can't you stay out of my private life?"  
"Because we're your friends and we're curious. A new romance, one that was about time. I mean, you spent so much time with her…did nothing happen before? All the month, did you really just play video games?"  
"Yes!"   
"Oh." Sofia furrowed her brows. "Strange. But okay, in the end it got you here…got you to her."  
"I go and get a few more beer out of the fridge." Don got up and walked into the house.   
"Wanna bet he calls her now?" Greg grinned.  
"Oh, he can't." Sofia smirked.  
"Why?"  
"Because I snitched his cell phone out of his pocket."  
"You don't plan to read his messages, do you?"  
"No, of course not, Greg. I plan to put it in the grass, next to his chair. If he comes back, picks it up immediately without saying a word, we know he looked for it."  
"A cop, a CSI and a pickpocket. That's my woman, she's very talented." Sara kissed Sofia.   
"Hopefully your baby won't be like her, it will steal all the candy." Jules chuckled.   
"No, it won't. Sofia will have stolen it before, our child can be happy when it gets a little bit from my sweet tooth monster."  
"Hey, I barely eat candy and chocolate anymore, the doctor ordered healthy food and I eat it. More than before. Still can't understand how people can prefer it over chocolate."  
"With chocolate and fruits it's like with water and whiskey. Chocolate and whiskey is made by the devil, water and fruits by God." Greg explained.  
"Luckily I booked my ticket to hell already. Heaven sounds like an awful place to be, no fun. Plus there'll plenty of barbecues around in hell, where fire is, there's barbecue. A good roasted steak is worth a sin." 

"Sorry it took me so long, guys, I had an emergency. Hey doggies, I brought you two bones, if your mommies agree, you can have them." Tanya held up a bag so the dogs couldn't reach it.   
"Go ahead, they can have it for dinner." Sofia said.   
"Okay. Here you go, two lovely big bones." She gave each dog a big bones and watch them disappear with their prey. "Made two men happy."  
"And there's your third man, you can make happy." Jules said to her cousin, pointing to Don.  
"You mean, fav cousin?"  
"We know you and him are doing more than playing video games and no, he didn't say a word, we knew it anyway. Gave you almost two weeks to tell us, nothing happened, so we decided we do the talking. First you don't tell me about your divorce, now you hide your new relationship."  
Tanya looked at Don. "So, what did you say?"  
"Nothing."  
"Then I'll do the same."  
"Seriously?" Jules looked in disbelieve at her cousin.   
"Jules, there's nothing to tell, we haven't talked about it ourselves, so all I tell you might not be true."  
"Okay, when will you figured it out? Or are you planning to go on like this?"  
"If we have figured it out, I let you know."  
The psychologist looked at her cousin and shook her head. "Still hasn't changed."  
"No, and you love me for being consistent. Are we done with the interrogation?"  
"Yes."  
"Good. Any news on the baby?"  
"No, no news. There won't be any news until we have been with the doctor. The only news is, we get the gym down into the garden and get two more bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. In case we have twins." Sara said, her hand running over Sofia's back.   
"Good idea, you can rent the additional room, make some money on the side."  
"That wasn't the plan."  
"Think about it. I'll do the same with my office room. It gets a pull-out couch, a sideboard and I rent it out for visitors every now and then. There is this web page, I used it once to book myself a room in San Francisco, checked what they want for L.A. and this area, you can make up to a hundred bucks and more per night, depends on what you offer. I ask seventy dollar a night and have already a few people asking for it."  
"And your office stuff?"  
"The folders are in the dental office, my personal stuff gets into a locked up filing cabinet in my room. Some nice money for my own place or a nice vacation."  
"Money for your accountant." Sara looked at her lover.   
"Another housemate? It's getting full here."  
"No, not a permanent one. Maybe with a limit of two weeks, only when we feel like it."  
"Okay…but…not upstairs, not with the baby."  
"You do have a huge living room." Tanya said.   
"So?"  
"So why not get a little room in there? Next to the bathroom, say two by three or four. Won't be worth a hundred bucks a night - unless the people know how much fun you guys are - but it can get you fifty bucks or so, give it away for two weeks, you do the math."  
"Seven hundred. My accountant will love that. What do you think? Sara? Don?"  
"If the room won't be rented out the whole time it's fine with me. Plus, we can use it as an additional room for our visitors. I mean, if we have twins and Don's parents come along, we need a room for them and if they bring more of the New York team, like the other kids, we need places for them."  
"When baby is born, you can bet my parents will be here and might bring more of the family. And yes, after I met your accountant, you might want some more money - especially with three more rooms to build. Sounds like easy money and like Tanya said, we set a limit of two weeks, get extra money and have the house for ourselves again. Plus, it could be fun to have one or two people around for a short time, from different countries, a lot of interesting stories."  
"Can you show me the web page and how to do these things, Tanya?" Sofia asked.  
"Absolutely."  
"Perfect. But first we need to talk to Sally and Tony, they live here, they must agree too. I don't like making decision, that effects all of us without talking to everybody. Gosh, so many changes, so much to do."  
"Lucky for you, you have friends, who will do a lot of work. I'm sure Kyle and Lynn will join the builder group too. In fact, we can start with the room in the living room tomorrow, when Sally and Tony agree. Two walls, a door, a light, should be possible, what do you think, Greggo?" Don asked.   
"I need to work, but will join you after work - if that's okay with Jules."  
"Sure, I plan to help myself."  
"You can build walls?" Don asked surprised.   
"No, I can go shopping with Sara, you need wallpapers, a bed, a sideboard, maybe a little table and two chairs. What do you think, Sara? We leave the twins with Sofia and hit the shops."  
"Furniture shopping? Why not. I do have tomorrow off."  
"And I put the room in the internet, with Tanya's help. I bet she'll be here anyway."  
"I do have a video game night here tonight, need to do some shopping in the morning, but after that, yes, we can do it."  
"No comment on the video games night." Sara smiled. 

8th of August Wednesday

Sofia took a deep breath. Back in her doctor's office, time for the first ultrasound of her baby. Six and a half weeks pregnant. She shouldn't be scared nor nervous, there had been no signs of she lost the baby, quite contrary, she went and was in a lot of side effects of being pregnant. Including mood swings, that annoyed her sometimes more than the people around her. They could be so terrible understanding. Here she goes again. Just by thinking she got angry, like a loony.   
"Honey, I annoy myself. And the breakfast didn't stay in me for an hour, I start to feel fat and my skin looks weird."  
"Baby is messing up with your body quite a lot."  
"Yes, which is good because so we know baby is still there but…how can you live with me when I'm like a lose canon?"  
"According to our former supervisor Ecklie, I'm a lose canon too. Means, I understand you, don't mind your behavior because it's like mine."  
"Don't be understanding, be annoyed."  
"I love you." Sara laughed.   
"Love you too; even when you're not doing what I want you to do. Yesterday I yelled at Don for being…still not being sure what is going on between him and Tanya. They're having whatever it is for a month now, they can just call it a relationship. Stop being this…them.  
And I don't like the guy, who lives in our new room. He's a nerd, eats candy all the time and drinks beer." They had their second guest in their new room next to the living room. The first guest was a couple from the Netherlands, who stayed for a week. The man, who was in there now, was from Texas, and he seemed not to be very open-minded. At least Sofia had the feeling, he had problems with her and Sara being a couple. Not that he said something, but the way he acted. Plus he did all the things, Sofia couldn't do at the moment. She was glad, he would leave on Saturday.  
"Anything else that pisses you off?"  
"Yes, a lot of things, I start to feel like you."  
"Maybe we've been together too long."  
"What?" Sofia's jaw dropped down. "You're not quitting on me and our baby, Sara Sidle! Forget it! No way! You'll stay with us, get through this and the rest of our life with me, like it or not. There's no way I let you leave. And if I have to chain you to our bed for the rest of your life, so it will be."  
"So it's not that bad you start to feel like me?"  
"No, Stupid. Don't make silly suggestions, give me a kiss. I need a kiss to calm down, baby and me are not positive excited."  
"Are you sure you're not using baby as an excuse to get a kiss?"  
"Baby is here, baby feels when I'm unhappy, you want baby happy, you make me happy. The easiest way to make me happy is kiss me. So, kiss please." Sofia pursed her lips.   
The brunette smiled, bent over and kissed the blonde softly. "Happy?"  
"Say you won't leave me."  
"You won't leave me. Ouch." Sara held her hand. Her lover pinched her.   
"Don't play wbad games with your pregnant girlfriend."  
"Never."  
"I see you're having a good time here without me." Doctor Blumfield entered the room.   
"My partner isn't nice to me, what do you suggest, doctor?" Sofia asked.  
"Look for a new one."  
"No! I love her."  
"Be patient."  
"I'm pregnant, I can't be patient."  
"Yes you can. Everything all right so far?"  
"No problems, besides the usual side effects of early pregnancy."  
"I'm happy to hear that. Do you want to see your baby? Or babies? Shall I tell you if you're pregnant with twins?"  
"Yes, please. If I am, we need to prepare a second room. In six weeks, when I'm more likely to stay pregnant."  
"With every day that goes by, you're more likely to stay pregnant. How is she treating you, Sara?"  
"I love her." Sara grinned.   
"Good answer, don't make her mad. Show us your belly, Sofia."  
"I'd like to thin of it as flat like it was…two years ago… Although I do have the feeling I put on some baby weight."  
"Baby or chocolate weight?"  
"Funny doctor. This woman here reduced my daily amount of chocolate and increased the amount of fruits and vegetables. I'm not allowed to order a large burger combo anymore. Fast Food isn't good for the baby."  
"She's right, you're lucky to have such a caring woman by your side. Most men don't care what her partners eat. Sara, on the other hand, cares for you and the baby. Much better than being left on your own with everything."  
"Don't smile this smug." The blonde grumbled at the smiling brunette.   
"Now you know it feels when somebody is smug."  
"Why don't we take a picture of your baby, instead of fighting? Sofia, get prepared for some cold lotion."  
"Baby photo, it will get a special place in our room. You can't get us a colorful shot, can you?"  
"No. And you can't see anything, I can't tell you if it or them are boy or girl. For that you have to come back later."  
"We'll see each other a few times before you tell us what gender our baby has. All right, lets get started, time for the photo and the check-up. Hello baby or babies, say 'cheese' for the doctor."

Three hours later Sara and Sofia were in the garden, just returned from a walk with the dogs around the reservoir and had some cold juice. The hammock for two people, Sally bought a few weeks ago, was their new favorite snuggle and cuddle place. According to the ultrasound Sofia was pregnant with one baby. One egg made it, one was lost, but they were happy with the one baby. Sofia wasn't sure if she could manage being pregnant with twins, she remembered how Jules looked, how she felt and with her prosthesis there might have been problems due to too much weight.   
"From the photo I guess the best name for our baby is Snowflake."  
"Don't be mean, baby isn't a Snowflake."  
"But baby looks like a Snowflake and Snowflake isn't worse than calling it baby all the time."  
"We need a name…an unisex name. Any idea? And no, not Snowflake, not a city, not a fruit and not something you made up."  
"Jamie. Lee. Curtis?"  
"I pretend I didn't hear the last one. Jamie is fine. Lee reminds of I've to talk to Lou Lee and invite him over for barbecue; for Tanya. Or do you think she's not interested in him anymore?"  
"Can't tell you."  
"Do you want him here?"  
"If he hits on you, I tell the dogs to make him their dinner."  
"My sensitive girlfriend, I love you so much." Sofia pulled the brunette closer in her arms and kissed her.   
"There are a lot of things I don't mind sharing, the house, the kitchen, the living room, but when it comes to my girlfriend, I'm very narrow minded and don't like to share. You're all mine."  
"Got an 'owned by Sara' on my skin."  
"Where is it? Can I see it?"  
"Where would you like it to have?"  
"On your sexy ass, then I could bite into it every day."  
"Your teeth stay away from my ass. As a vegetarian, you're not into meat."  
"For this kind of meat I forget I'm a vegetarian and take a good bite." Carefully Sara bit into the blondes shoulder, sucked on the skin and kissed it in the end. "I sent the scan of Jamie to your parents so they know how their grandchild looks like. Can't be too long until they're here."  
"Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. They cancelled the last trip to be here when we have the photo. My bet is, they want a copy of it, in poster size or something sick like that."  
"We have the photo in a frame too."  
"We're the parents. Do you have a copy for Don?"  
"On his bed."  
"You're the best."   
"I'm yours." The brunette smiled.   
"Can I check your ass for the 'owned by Sofia' sign?"  
"Later."  
"Later? Like later when we're in our room? Alone and have time for us?"  
"Yes."  
"Mhm, I like the thought of it. Now that Jamie has made it himself or herself comfortable in me and we don't have to be that careful anymore, we can have more fun together." Sofia almost climbed on Sara's lap, nipping on her earlobe. "To be honest I'd prefer to have you right here, but we're not alone, the tourist is back and he's in his room, won't like us making out here. Why did we do this room thing again?"  
"All the extra money for your account and half of it is for our next trip. That's why. We have ten of these guys here, each for two weeks, we have seven thousand dollar. Plus, the first ones were nice, we had some good laughs with them. There can always be a rotten one."  
"True. So, making-out will be later. Why not listen to the audio book you have on your phone? A few chapter, continue snuggle, maybe a little nap in your arms."  
"Nice idea." Sara took her cell phone out of her pocket and started the audio book, they listened to yesterday. A crime book, read by a person, who's voice made them fall asleep after a few minutes. 

"You're so cute together, are you practicing for a hibernation? Cuddled up in a soft lair, only the food is missing." Don laughed when he found Sara and Sofia asleep in the hammock.   
"We listened to a man and, like in school, we fell asleep." Sofia yawned. "What time is it?"  
"A little bit after seven. How was the doctor appointment?"  
"Good, did you see the photo?"  
"Yes, thanks for that. Baby is all right?"  
"Baby got named Jamie today because somebody started to call it Snowflake and because we have no idea if it's a boy or girl, we took an unisex name. For now. Are you cool with that?"  
"Sure. Jamie. So Jamie is fine and is Jamie alone or are there two Jamies?"  
"One Jamie, unless Jamie number two is really good at hiding. The doctor explained the ultrasound photo to us, what exactly Jamie is and that's unlikely a second one is hiding. Sorry, you'll be only the father of one."  
"That's cool too."  
"Now that we're here alone, tell us, what does Tanya say about you being a daddy soon? Or next year." Sara asked.   
"Tanya knew we wanted to do it, she's happy you're pregnant, she told you herself."  
"Yeah, but what does that mean for you and her?"  
"Sara, could it be that your real question is, what is my relationship to Tanya?"  
"And if I do?" The brunette cocked her head. It was about time they got a real answer. Don and Tanya had to make up their mind by now about what they wanted. Or not wanted.   
"Tanya and me are in a relationship, we're not seeing anybody else. That include Mister Movie Star Universe. Satisfied?"  
"What took you so long to say it?"  
"We didn't talk about it. It was fine the way it was, there was no need to say, we won't see anybody else. I mean, why would I? She's hot, likes beer, pizza and video games. The perfect chick for me. And can you imagine a better guy than me?"  
"Of course not." The brunette laughed. "You're the father of our child, we asked you because you're the best."  
"See, all easy. And before you ask the next question, no I don't want to move out to be with her. We got me this extra room, we'll have a baby, I want to be close to my baby. Tanya is aware of that, she knew before it even started with us, that I want to be here with the baby, that it's important for me to be close to my daughter or son. Again, no problem here. Maybe there comes a time when she moves in with me, if that's okay with you. But that's the future. I want the life with my child work out, the rest has to be second."  
"She's cool with that too?"  
"Yes. Being second means, I stay here with you and Jamie, won't move in with her, but we never planed moving in any time soon. It's been a month, we have no reason to hurry. If we want to see each other, we can visit the other. It's not like we live in different cities or different parts of the city. In less than five minutes we're at the other's place."  
Sofia cocked her head. "She makes you smile."  
"Yes."  
"She's good for you, I haven't seen you this relaxed in a relationship since…actually I've never seen you this relaxed."  
"Because we didn't rush anything, I knew her before, we're friends, we hang out, share hobbies and she's not with the police. It comes in handy when you date somebody, who knows the job, understands the hours, but it also good to have somebody, who comes home and hasn't seen death and violence the whole day."  
"True. When Sara talks about work it's nice, there are barely bad stories, but a lot of nice ones, that make me smile. Especially in spring, when all the baby animals are around and I get a lot of photos of them."  
"That's why I decided not to work law enforcement anymore. I need happiness in my life and I don't think I had dated you, if I were a CSI. Too much work, no private life. When you share cases it's hard to leave them at the lab and not take them home with you. Own, bad experience."  
"We'll have a baby in the house next year, stories about crime and violent have to stay outside. Our Jamie isn't supposed to have nightmare about how horrible the world is, before he or she has to. TV and newspaper will do that soon enough."  
"By the way, what about your weapons, Sofia? Where do you keep them?"  
"In our room, where they are now too." The blonde knew her lover wasn't happy with the weapons in their room. "And when Jamie is around, we move the safe from the ground onto the highest shelf. It's locked all the time anyway, but until Jamie can reach this far, our baby knows how dangerous guns are. And no, I won't leave them in the lab, we had this discussion already." Sofia took Sara's hand. "Nothing can happen when we leave them in the safe."  
"I know and you know my opinion. What about your guns, Don?"  
"They are in my safe, on top of my wardrobe. Jamie will be safe."  
"Jamie will be a Lakers fan."  
"What? Why would we do that to our child? I'll get him or her the complete collection of the only true sports teams, New York teams."  
"No way! This shit won't end up in Jamie's room!"   
"I'm the father."  
"And I'm the mother."  
"Are you seriously arguing about the decoration of Jamie's room? About which sport team can be in there?" Sara furrowed her brows.   
"Our child won't be a Yankee fan."  
"Our child will have the best and that's the New York Knicks. Sara?"  
"Leave me out of this. In my world children have poster of animals on the wall and not sport teams. And while we talk about rooms, the other three rooms should be finished soon. I painted the walls white last night, we can buy furniture soon. Or use the stuff we have in the other room after Jamie will get his or her own furniture…we won't paint the room pink or blue, will we?" Sara hoped nobody had the idea to turn the baby's room into a typical boy or girl room. All pink or all blue.   
"No, not advertisement room. And no police cars, before you ask. We should all three go out and look for wallpaper and agree on one. Same with the furniture," Sofia said. "And about the sport stuff we can argue later. Jamie will get a Lakers shirt."  
"And a Knicks shirt. With matching pants."  
Sara closed her eyes in disbelieve. If the favorite sports team of a baby was their biggest problem, Jamie would have a wonderful life; with arguing parents. At least two out of three would argue about sport.


	2. Chapter 2

9th of August Thursday

"I'm looking for Miss Sidle."  
Stephen turned and looked at the woman in front of him. Immediately his eyes fell on the police badge on her belt. Police in the National Forest couldn't be a good sign. Either Sara was in trouble or something happened to her girlfriend.   
"Is she in trouble?" Having spent a few nights on the street and having a few not so nice meetings with the police, he wasn't in the mood to answer the question right away. Could it be, this woman was here because of a speeding ticket?   
"She will be if I don't see her ASAP."  
"And you are?"  
"The captain. Who are you?"  
"Stephen."  
"So, now that we all know each other, where is Miss Sidle? I don't want more questions, I want answers. Now!"  
"Miss Sidle is not here anymore. She went home."  
"Her boss told me she's supposed to be here until three."  
"Yes…but she left earlier, her work was finished and she got some unexpected visitor."  
"An unexpected visitor? Sounds like she's in trouble."  
"No, only her mother." Don't make it sound like she's in trouble, make it sound like there was a unplanned but very happy family meeting.  
"Her mother?"  
"Yeah, she doesn't live in L.A.. Listen, I'm sorry but I've to keep going." Stephen turned and walked to the little hut. This cop had trouble written all over her, there was no way he'd help her finding Sara. Instead he had to warn her.   
"Hey, are you done outside?" Sara asked when Stephen entered the hut.   
"No."  
"Any problems?"  
"Maybe."  
"Like?"  
"Like a cop outside."  
"Sofia is here? Why didn't you send her inside?"  
"It's not Sofia, it's…a captain and she has written trouble all over her. You should get the hell out of here, I told her, you're home because you got some unexpected visitor. If you climb out of the window, you can make it to the car and leave the forest, but don't go home, this cop might go there too. I tell our boss, there was an emergency at home."  
The door of the hut got opened again and they both looked at the woman, who entered the room.   
"I thought Miss Sidle is at home."  
"Uhm…I…"  
"So, you're hiding behind a boy? A lying boy. Means, you're in even bigger trouble than I thought you are. Anything you can want to say to defense yourself?"  
"No."  
"Well, then I should proceed the way a good cop does. We'll take a ride together."   
Stephen saw how the captain walked towards Sara, saw the handcuffs and the gun, then his eyes fell on a can of coke. Without thinking, he took the can and throw it. A second later, the captain went down.   
"Run! I cuff her and you…I don't know. Get Sofia to help you!" He yelled.   
In disbelieve Sara looked at Stephen and the woman in front of her on the ground. This couldn't be true.   
"What did you do?"  
"I bought you some time. Don't worry about the trouble, I'll get through it. Just get the hell out of here before she wakes up."  
Sara shook her head, kneed down next to the woman the ground to check her pulse.   
"What are you doing? I can do that, she's only sleeping for a minute or so."  
"Stephen, this is my mother-in-law!" Sara ignored the shocked face of her young colleague and shook Marie's shoulder. "Marie, are you all right?" Stephen really knocked Marie out. Now he was in trouble and only God knew, how and if he ever got out of them. Sara surely had no idea how he could make up for this. 

Sofia took another photo of the broken window. Break and entry in a nice Hollywood Villa. Twenty rooms, pool, tennis court, gym.   
"Got something?" Greg asked.   
"Shoe impression, blood on the window and a piece of cotton. I sent all to the lab, they're processing it. Rich people, fast work. What about you?"   
"Five missing paintings, each worth half a million, jewelry worth over four million, some cash and two parrots."  
"Two parrots?"  
"They're worth a lot of money."  
"Okay, did you talk to the owner?"  
"Yes, they said every window and door were closed, alarm system was on. No signs of forced entry, can you go down to the lab, help them processing? I finish up here."  
"Sure. You have descriptions of the missing stuff?"  
"Better, I've photos, sent them all to the lab. They had them here for the insurance. And the parrot was a couple, blue and yellow." Greg showed her a photo of the parrots.   
"Nice animals."  
"Yeah, the only bad thing about them is, they swear. When they talk, it's a swear word. The Harpers said, their son taught the birds these words, to annoy his parents. Worked out. They love the parrots, so they keep them and put up with them swearing like a bunch of pirates."  
"I like them even more now. Give me a call when you need me back here, okay?"  
"Sure. Stay away from all dangerous chemical, will you?"  
"Yes daddy, don't worry, I stay in the baby friendly area."  
"Good." He blinked at her. "Oh and I pulled the videos from surveillance cameras, when I had a first look at them, nobody was seen around."  
"I've a closer look at them when I'm in the lab. See you later." Sofia left the villa and went to her car. What a huge place. Her own house would fit in here three or four times, the garden was ten times bigger than hers and that was only one side. The Harpers must have a lot of people taking care of the house and everything around and exactly these people would be their first suspects. No signs of forced entry meant, whoever stole all these things knew the alarm code. And with a son, who taught the parrot swear words to annoy his parents, they had a suspect right in the family.  
Spending a minute to admire the view over Los Angeles from the Hollywood Hills the blonde wondered, if one day she'd want to live up here. Not that she was likely to afford it, but was living up here better than down in Silver Lake? Doubtless, her district had charm, it was appealing and she loved it there, but why did so many rich people move up here? Was it the view? Or the knowledge, here lived only other rich people? Being further away from the city, further away from potential burglars. Or not. With a car it wasn't a problem to get here.   
For the dogs it was perfect up here, only a few streets and there were the Hollywood Hills, a lot of space for them to run. Griffith Park just around the corner. And a great view of the famous Hollywood Sign. Okay, she could see that from her own balcony too. Or, she knew it was the Hollywood Sign, it was small compared to here. Stopping for a car that came up from the front, she pulled over. Narrow streets, like her street in Silver Lake, smaller houses now, one family homes. Or maybe two, but more possible one. A swing for the kids in the garden, a dog asleep under a bush, a dirty van, a few boxes, looked like somebody moved in or out. They even had their birds out…The blonde stopped her car. Birds? That was a parrot. A blue and yellow one. Was it a coincidence? There were a lot of people with money around, it was highly possible a few of them had parrots too. But…it was worth checking out.   
"Control this is Curtis, I need back-up to my location." Thanks to the GPS she didn't have to bother with finding out where she was.   
"Control, back-up is sent."  
"Thanks. I will check the house on the left side behind my car." Leaving her vest in the car, taking her backpack with her lunch and drinks out, she made sure her gun wasn't visible under her shirt. One size too big shirt. Soon it would be too small, a horrible thought.   
Like a tourist, who lost her way, she turned herself a few times on the road, looked in all directions and stopped in front of the gateway to the house.   
"I'm sorry." She called to a man, who came out of the house. He wasn't happy to see her, but Sofia ignored that. "I lost my way. Can you tell me where the trail to the Hollywood Sign is?" While she talked she stepped towards him.   
He closed the door of the van, but left the parrots outside. Two. Both blue and yellow.   
"You've got the wrong road, Lady. There's only one road that goes to the trail for the sign. It's Beachwood Drive, you need to get more east."  
"Oh, damn it. I'm here by bus, so I've to walk all the way back down? Or is there a road that goes over?"  
"No."  
"Bugger…you've beautiful birds here. Wonderful color."  
"Thanks, I want to sell them, they make too much work and I've no time for them."  
"Really? I bet that's not easy. Hello beauties, can you talk?"  
"Not really."  
"Bitch!" One of the birds say.   
"Oh, naughty birds. My boyfriend would enjoy that. I'm from Vegas…is it possible I come back in two days, when my boyfriend and his car are here? I bet he'd be interested in them."  
"Sure, give me a call." He wrote his number on a piece of paper.   
"Thanks. So, I walk back down and then east?"  
"Yes. There should be a bus going up Beachwood Canyon, ask a bus driver."  
"Okay, I will do that. Thank you very much, you were very helpful." Happy Sofia turned and walked back to the road, just in time to see the black and white stopping behind her car. Turning, waving to the man, she made sure, he was still at his van and went to the cops.   
"There's a man with two blue and yellow parrots in a cage, the birds swear. Exactly like the two that were stolen up the hills today. I couldn't check out the van, the man closed it, but I bet he's our burglar."  
"We check him and the van."  
"Careful, he might be armed. I didn't see a gun, but neither did he see mine."  
"When you hear shots, call for back-up." The two cops went to the gateway. Sofia leant onto her car, ready to get her gun and the phone in case she heard something. There were shouts, arguing and then she heard over the radio, a man was arrested and there was potential stolen property in the van. Back-up was required to secure the house.   
A little bit over a year ago, she could have done that, secure the house, be in the middle of it. Now she had to wait until she was called in. The life of a CSI wasn't very exiting. Then again, Jamie might not like it when she chased bad guys or found herself being shot at.   
When a second police car showed up, she waited another two minutes before she went back. The man was cuffed, a second was taken out of the house.   
"House is secured."  
"Good. Sorry guys, the police offered me a free ride up to the sign in case I tell them about a swearing parrot. Guess, you don't have to worry about them anymore." She smiled.   
"Bitch! You're a cop."  
"No, I'm not."  
"Bitch! Asshole! Wanker!" The birds screamed.   
"Boy, you are a swearing couple. I really like you." She grinned. They would be perfect for her house, but there was no way she could afford them. 

"Marie? Are you all right?" Sara helped her mother-in-law to sit down.   
"Yeah…what did happen?"  
"You got hit on the head and were out for a minute or two."  
"Really? How could that happen?"  
"Uhm…we should get you to a doctor."  
"A doctor? What for? I'm fine." Marie got up, touched her head. "Ouch. Nasty."  
"We should really get you to a doc…"  
"For a bruise? Don't be ridiculous."   
"Just like your daughter."  
"Runs in the family." Marie looked around and her eyes fell on Stephen. "Who are you?"  
"He's…"  
"I'm the one responsible for the bruise on your head." Stephen said before Sara could defend him. "You said, Sara is in trouble, I wanted her out here so you can't get her. The coke can was supposed to buy her some time."  
"You took me out with a coke can? That's embarrassing."   
"I'm really sorry, I didn't know you're her mother-in-law. You said you're the captain and she's in trouble if you don't see her ASAP."  
"I am a captain."  
"Okay, if you don't want to see a doctor, Marie." Sara said to get the attention away from Stephen. "But you should go home…let me call a taxi for you…"  
"Sara, I'm capable of driving. Don't worry."  
"You shouldn't drive after you were knocked out for a minute…okay, I can see, you don't want to hear that, of course not. Always the same with these Curtis women. Then drive home …where's Mark?"  
"At your place, cooking. Like any other good husband. And no, we won't call him and tell him what happened. I drive back to your place…you follow me soon?"  
"Yes, give me another hour."  
"All right, I see you later. And you." She turned towards Stephen. "We will have another conversation. This wasn't the last time you saw me."  
"Downtown?"  
"I'm a Vegas cop, I don't take people to downtown L.A., we'll settle it another way. You will be here, so I know where to find you."   
"I will take full responsibilities."  
"That's good."  
"And you take yourself home now." Sara got her arm around Marie. "No, I don't tell you what to do, I ask you please to make sure, the dogs are fine and our new housemate doesn't mess up the place. Sofia doesn't like him."  
"In this case I will have a closer look at this man. See you later, Darling." Marie kissed Sara's cheek. "Don't worry, I'm fine."  
"Get some ice for your head - and your drink. Later mom." She kissed Marie's cheek.   
"Young man." Marie gave Stephen a firm look and left the hut.   
Stephen looked at Sara. "On a scale from one for no to hundred for a lot, where am I on the trouble scale?"  
"Five-hundred."  
"Shit? Seriously?"  
"You knocked out the Captain, with a can of coke. Bad for her ego and ego is very important for the Curtis women."  
"How do I get out of it? Flowers? Chocolate?"  
"No, not working. We'll figure something out together, don't worry. First I need to make a phone call."  
"Want to tell Sofia I almost killed her mother?"  
"No, I want to see her face when she hears the coke part." Sara grinned, took her cell phone and dialed a number. "Hey doctor Bendler, here's Sara. Don't worry, everything is all right with Sofia, I call because of her mother. She got hit on the head today and lost conscious for two minutes. Of course she refuses to see a doctor, do we have to worry about anything? If yes, let me know and I will try to make her see a doctor - no idea how to do it…I'll figure it out. Thanks. See you soon at my godchild's place." She ended the call.   
"You know a doctor?"  
"Yeah, she's the grandmother of my godchild and saved Sofia's life last year."  
"What am I suppose to do now?"  
"Finish your work?"  
"Just like nothing got happened?"  
"Yes."  
"She could come back with L.A. cops, I assaulted a captain, that gets me into prison. No chance of staying here."  
"Don't worry about that, Marie won't call L.A. police. She prefers to works her own cases. And your case is closed." Plus it was way too embarrassing for Marie to tell anybody what happened, leave alone LAPD. Her reputation was gone when anybody of the cops found out what happened today.   
"How do you know?"  
"She's my mother-in-law, I know her." Sara smiled. In her opinion Stephen had nothing to fear, the captain would settle this her own way, without police involved. 

"CSI Curtis, the heroine of the day." Greg hugged Sofia. "You closed the case without working the evidence, took you less than four hours to get almost six and a half million dollar back to their owner. Impressive."   
"Thanks, that was luck."  
"No, you don't have just luck, you need to work hard to succeed."  
"If the car hadn't come from the front and I hadn't stopped, looked around, I had never seen the parrots."  
"You did see them, you got close to them, made sure they were the missing parrots, you closed the case."  
"Curtis!"   
"And there's a new case for me, no time to celebrate success. Hopefully it's nothing that keeps me away from home too long, my parents should arrive today."  
"The Captain is back."  
"Yes. Will you come over with the twins and Jules? I'm sure my parents want to see them."  
"Sure, if Jules doesn't have other plans, we come over. Shall we bring some dinner? Order a pizza? Mexican?"  
"Everything is perfect. Okay, I've a look what the boss wants. Maybe we both will be on the road in a few minutes, close a second case today. Team Vegas, the winning team." She smiled, left the room and went over to her boss's office.   
"You yelled?"  
"I didn't yell, I called out for you."  
The blonde grinned. "Got a new case?"  
"First I got a message from the Harpers. They are very happy you found all their stuff this fast and they wanted to send you a present. I told them, we can't accept presents, they weren't very understanding, because you saved them a lot of money - and their insurance company. So I told them, if they want to thank you with more than words, they can donate money to a wildlife foundation, that would make you very happy. If you receive a letter from a wildlife foundation the next days, saying thank you for your donation, you know where the money came from."  
"You ruined my chance of getting a couple of bucks extra? My accountant will kill you for this." Sofia laughed.   
"Then he ends up in prison because you will find the evidence, that points towards him. You know, you can't take presents, don't you?"  
"Of course I do and I like your idea. It will make Sara even more happier than me and when my girlfriend is happy, I'm happy."  
"Which makes the baby happy."  
"Yes."   
"Okay, new case for you. I need you on the Santa Monica Freeway, accident, two serious injured."  
"Do I take boyfriend Greg with me?"   
"No, you work the case alone. Boyfriend Greg can have his own case. What does Sara say about you calling Greg boyfriend?"  
"She doesn't know, it's our secret." Sofia laughed. "I see you later; with answers."  
"Good. Take care of the baby."  
"Yes, Sir!" It was good to know her boss cared about her baby and made sure, she didn't forget she was pregnant and had to take care of her and her baby. 

"Done for today." Sara closed her locker. "Time to go home and put our feet up."  
"Yeah…your mother-in-law, did she call? Is she fine?"  
"Very likely. Don't worry about her. Hey, we'll have a longer day again tomorrow, why don't I tell your taxi driver I take you home after work? This way he doesn't have to wait until we're done and we don't have to rush. We have a group of kindergarten kids here, easy to get late because they ask so many questions and we don't want to disappoint them by telling them, we have to go home, do we?"  
"No." He smiled.   
"So you're okay with me taking you home?"  
"A modern date, the girl drives the boy home, fine with me. I like your fast way of driving. How many tickets did you get so far?"  
"Not many."  
"Very handy to date a cop. Former cop."  
"I never used Sofia to have a few tickets gone missing." Sara smiled. They went out of the hut, found the car waiting for Stephen.   
"Right on time so I don't get the idea to have some fun here before it's time for prison. Great. Tell your mother-in-law I'm sorry."  
"Stop worrying about her, she'll be fine." The brunette petted his shoulder. "See you tomorrow." Sara knocked on the window of the driver, so let the window down. "Hey, we have a group of kindergarten kids in tomorrow and we don't know how long it will take. I can take Stephen home of you want, saves you a way."  
"Okay, thanks. Time to go home, Stephen."  
"Yeah. See you tomorrow Sara." He waved at her and got into the car.   
Sara watched the car driving away., trying to ignore the sadness in his eyes. He hated going back, it felt like prison to him. But he went back every day, came back here, like he had promised.   
She got into her car, time to go home, seeing how Marie was. Alison hadn't called…oh dear, she had called her doctor Bendler on the phone, they had the agreement, she'd call her Alison. Sooner or later Alison would tell her off for it.   
Taking up with the usual traffic jam it was after four when she came back home. Marie's and Mark's car was parked in front of the house and the wide opened kitchen window told her, Mark was in there, probably preparing a three course dinner. Marie was a lucky woman to have such a husband; not only for the great cooking.  
Her welcome duo was behind the door and tackled her down when she was inside.   
"Scooby, Rantanplan, what's wrong with you? I was only away for work, you know I come back." She tried to push the dogs gently away, getting out of the way of sloppy tongues all over her face.   
"True love, every minute without you is a like an eternity for them. And I think they were scared, you are away for a longer time and that's why Mark and me are here." Marie said. "Dogs! Sit! Where's your discipline?"  
"Sofia's raised them."  
"Right, there is no discipline in this house. Luckily I'll be here for my grandchild."  
"You don't make a rookie out of the baby, do you?"  
"Did I do anything wrong with Sofia?"  
"A lot of things, I love her anyway." Sara smirked. "How is your head?"  
"Fine and we don't want to talk about it anymore."  
"She took an aspirin and a scotch." Mark came out of the kitchen, pulled Sara back on her feet and hugged her. "It's good to see you, even when I'm a little bit mad with you and Sofia for nothing coming over for such a long time. You work too much."  
"Summer time, it's always busy then. Plus the days we didn't work, when we had two days in a row off, were doctor days. Making sure your grandchild is fine. Will you teach Jamie how to cook?"  
"If he or she is interested in, yes. We have Marie pushing your child into police work, no need to push it into a hobby too."  
"Our daughter loved being a cop and she was a damn good one! She has cop DNA."  
"Jamie, I like the name by the way, won't have your DNA, so you don't have to make a cop out of him or her."  
"Jamie has Don's DNA, another cop family and Sara was a CSI, our grandchild is made to work law enforcement."  
"Sara?" Mark sighed.   
"Well…I think we let Jamie decide. Anyway, you talk about something that will take place in eighteen years or so. I'd like to have our child going to college and university. But maybe Jamie wants to be something else…a secretary, a taxi driver, an actor? After all, this is Los Angeles, chances are high our child wants to be part of the Hollywood history."  
"A daily soap grandchild?" Marie made a face.   
"If that's what Jamie wants, so it will be."  
"I need some time to get used to this idea…and maybe another scotch. When was the last time you spoke to Jim Brass?"  
"Marie, we won't let him change our mind."  
"Oh…what a pity…"  
"Marie, let Jamie be born first, then go to kindergarten, high school and after that is enough time to discuss what Jamie will be. And if he or she has a little bit of your stubbornness after being fed by our daughter for nine months, it's likely Jamie won't care what we want."  
Sara grinned. Mark was right, when Jamie had the stubbornness of her or his mothers, it was likely, whatever they wanted Jamie to be, didn't matter. Jamie wouldn't care and do whatever he or she wants. 

"This looks like a party." Sofia came into the garden, where she found Sara and her parents, sitting at the big wooden table with drinks in front of them.   
"It is, welcome home, Baby." Mark pulled his daughter in his arms. "How are you? Both of you?"  
"Were fine, we're the heroes of the day. Closed two cases."  
"Wow, not bad. I hope you did rest in between."  
"Yes dad, I made sure your grandchild is fine." Hey mom, how are you?"  
"What did Sara tell you?"  
"Nothing." Sofia looked irritated at her lover. "What should you have told me?"  
"Nothing!" Marie pulled her daughter in her arms. "Everything is fine. Hello grandchild, how are you?"  
"Giving me all side effects a pregnancy can have."  
"Just like you did to me."  
"Great, I get payback now." Sofia sat on Sara's lap, kissed her softly. "What did you not tell me about my mother? I know there is something, spill it out."  
"Uhm…will you protect me?"  
"Sure."  
"Sara!"   
"Your mother was knocked out today, lost conscious for a minute or two."  
"What? What did happen?" Shocked Sofia locked at her mother.  
"Nothing, only a little incident."  
"You don't lose conscious because of a little incident, mother!"  
"Something hit her on the head, that's all."  
"What did hit you on your head? Mom!"  
"Why is that important? I'm fine, don't worry."  
"Sara? What did hit her head?"  
"A can."  
"A can? How did that happen? Fell it off the shelf?"  
"Uhm…"  
"Yes." Marie answered.   
"You're lying! Sara, what did really happen?"  
"Uhm…why do you have to involve me? Can't you talk about it with your mother?"  
"She's lying, I want the truth. You never lie to me."  
"When she doesn't want you to know I don't think I should tell you…"  
"Are you on her side or mine?"  
"At the moment I try to stay out of it so I won't get shot by one of you. Like your mother has to accept there are things you don't tell her, you have to accept she doesn't tell you everything. Sorry."  
"You scared my girlfriend, mother. Again. I thought you don't do that anymore."  
"I didn't."  
"If she wasn't scared she'd talk to me."  
"Like she said, non of your business." Marie crossed her arms. "Be a good daughter, get me a new drink."  
"No. Get it yourself, I'm pregnant, I don't carry alcohol anymore." The blonde got her arms around Sara's neck, kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear. "I want all answers tonight when we're alone. You're not off the hook, Honey. This seems to be an interesting story."  
"Love you too and yes, I'm glad your parents are here." Sara answered amused. "Shall I call Greg and ask him to come over too?"  
"Did that already at work. We expected my parents, I told him to bring his family over. Our plan was to order some food, that was before I saw dad had cooked for a whole company. Why can't you relax like any other man after a long drive?"  
"Your mother drove most of the time and I relax while I cook. When will Don come home?"  
"Uhm…soon? He wanted to stop at Tanya's office on the way back."  
"Does he have toothache?"  
"No, his teeth are fine, it's more a heart case."  
"Oh, interesting. Heartache or happy heart?"  
"Very happy heart."  
"Another daughter-in-law, a dentist."  
"We didn't approve to this relationship, did we?" Marie asked.   
"Well, I'm afraid he makes his decision without asking us before. Like our other two kids. Not that we're not happy with their picks."  
"No, our daughters-in-law are most times nice."   
"Always."  
"I'm not sure about that." Marie smiled at Sara, knowing the brunette would tell the blonde the whole story later, when they were alone. They didn't keep secrets from each other and that was exactly the way it should be in a good relationship. 

"Good evening." Surprised everybody turned when doctor Bendler came into the garden. When the doorbell rang and Tony went inside to open the door, they thought it was the house guest, who might have forgotten his keys.   
"Mom, what are you doing here?" Jules asked surprised.   
"Seeing my grandchildren. And checking on a patient."  
"I'm fine, doc, no need to worry." Sofia smiled. "I had my big check-up two months ago, when we changed my medication for the pregnancy."  
"How does the new medication work?"  
"Not as fast and long as the old one, but it doesn't harm Jamie, the baby, so I'm fine with it. Want to check on the leg anyway?"  
"No, in fact I'm not here because of your leg, I'm here to see your mother."  
"What?" Marie looked irritated. "Why?"  
"I got told you lost conscious today after you were hit on the head by a…"  
"I'm fine."  
"Yeah, sure. Just like the daughter and the daughter-in-law."  
"Sara, did you call doctor Bendler?" Marie gave Sara a hard look.   
"Uhm…all I wanted to know if we should get you to a doctor, although I had no idea how to get you to one…we don't have sedatives in the house…"  
"I'm fine and it doesn't matter what hit me."  
"You're a doctor too, Captain?"  
"I know my body."  
"Of course. Where were you hit?"  
"I didn't ask for an examination."  
"No, you get it anyway. And if you refuse I call an ambulance, possible concussion."  
"Don't you dare."  
"We're not in Vegas, this is my city and when I as a doctor say, you need to see a hospital, you will get taken to one."  
"Can't you both not we at the same place without having a fight?" Sara sighed. "Marie, let her check you, please."  
"It's not necessary."  
"Do it for your daughter-in-law."  
"You're a pain in the ass, just like your girlfriend."  
"I learnt from the best." Sofia mumbled.   
"Backside."   
"There we go." Doctor Bendler took a look at Marie's backside of the head. "Nice lump."  
"It's a bruise."  
"No, it's a lump. Do you have a headache?"  
"I took an aspirin."  
"And three scotch." Sara added amused.   
"Interesting medication." Doctor Bendler took a little flashlight and checked on Marie's eyes. "No concussion, you're lucky. It knocked you out but the force wasn't strong enough for any serious damage. If your headache gets worse or is still there tomorrow, you might want to see a doctor. Without having one coming after you."  
"I'll be fine."  
"No doubt about it."  
"Do you want to join us for dinner, Alison?" Greg asked.   
"No, thanks, I've to go home, a husband and work are waiting for me." Doctor Bendler took Eric in her arms. "Will you come over and see your grandmother soon? I have the day after tomorrow off, why don't you and your sister come over? We can have some fun, you show me how good you can crawl. Gives your mother a few hours of freedom."  
"I can bring them over after breakfast." Jules said.   
"Perfect. I look forward to a few hours with you." She kissed Eric, sat him down and took Jorja up. "And you too, my beautiful lady. We'll have some fun together and buy some pudding. You like pudding, don't you?"  
"Mom, don't spoil them.  
"Don't listen to your mother, a grandmother is made to spoil the grandchildren. We'll have pudding and some juice. Now I've to see what grandpa is doing, you know, Jorja, you can't let men alone for a long time, they always make a mess. Remember that for the future, always keep an eye on them."  
"Isn't she a little bit young for a relationship advice?" Sofia wondered.   
"You're never too young for the important rules of life." Doctor Bendler kissed Jorja and sat her down again. "Enjoy your little party and Captain, don't add too many scotch to your medication."  
"I won't. Thanks."  
"You're welcome. See you."  
"Bye and thanks." Sara smiled. Doctor Bendler, Alison, came along to check on Marie, that was really nice of her. 

"Okay, now that we're all alone, tell me about my mother's head. What did hit her?" Sofia pulled Sara closer in her arms, making sure the brunette had no chance to escape.   
"Your mother doesn't want you to know."  
"And she knows you'll tell me when we're alone, like we are now. How bad can it be? According to doctor Bendler she's fine."  
"Yes she is. Can't you be happy about it?"  
"I am happy she's fine but I still want to know what happened. So?"  
"She got hit on the head while she visited me in the forest."  
"With what? Did a squirrel throw something at her?"  
"No, not exactly."  
"But?"  
"Uhm…you know how she can look like she's trouble and how it effects people, who don't know her?"  
"It's her trademark. Did she arrest somebody?"  
"No, she asked where I am, making it look like I'm trouble."  
"I doubt your boss hit my mother with something. A can, right?"  
"No, not my boss."  
"Shane? They know each other."  
"No, not Shane."  
"Stephen?"  
"Maybe."  
"Why?"  
"Because he thought she wanted to arrest me, he wanted to help me, buy me some time. So he throw something at her and hit her head."  
"What exactly did he throw?"  
"A can."  
"What kind of can?"  
"His coke can. Full one."  
Sofia looked in disbelieve at her lover and started laughing hard until tears rolled down her face. That was too good. Her mother was knocked out by a fourteen years old boy with a can of coke. Of, that was so hilarious.   
"Be quiet, your parents are next door, they hear you and know why you're laughing."  
"Sorry." Sofia continued to laugh. "This is so funny, my mom, the Captain, knocked out by a boy with a can of coke. Precious. I wish I had seen that. And her face after she found out what knocked her out."  
"I was really scared, she lost conscious."  
"Yeah, I guess it had shocked me too, but now…knowing everything is fine, it's hilarious. The captain knocked out by a can of coke. Guess it wasn't a light one."  
"No." Sara bit on her lips to held back a laughter. "Stephen is really worried he might be in big trouble."  
"He has no reason to worry, my mother won't tell anybody, she doesn't want more people to know. Oh, I like this boy, he's cool. Tell him, I'm proud of him, he has more guts than all of my boyfriends together. They would have never dared to do anything against the captain."  
"Well, he wanted to protect me, looks like he likes me more than your boyfriends liked you. Or they were all cowards."  
"Probably both. You know, I have to buy mom a packet with cokes can for her birthday."  
"Don't."  
"Why?"  
"Because she won't like it."  
"She'll get over it. Coke can." Sofia laughed again. "You heard that, Jamie? If you want to have your peace, just hit grandma with a can of coke."   
"No, don't hit your grandmother, don't listen to your mother, she's mean." Sara protested and put her hand on Sofia's belly, stroking it. "You'll be a good grandchild. And I can't wait until you start kicking."  
"I think, I'm not that excited about getting kicked the whole time."  
"Oh, you will. Our baby will move and you feel it. Jamie will interact with you, you know, being pregnant with Jamie, will make you the closest contact person. The first he or she will react to, the one, who will be able calm our baby down. Your voice, your body, will feel safe."  
"Well, Jamie hears your voice too, you'll be also the safe person."  
"Thirty-four more weeks, sounds like a long time."  
"It does, but when you think how much Jamie has to grow until then, it's a short time. Right now Jamie is tiny…I wish I could say the same when I'm in labor."  
"Don't think about that."  
"You will be there, hold my hand."  
"The whole time. What about Don?"  
"Still thinking about if I want him around. Do you want him there?"  
"Sofia, you're the one who's in labor, who suffers, who will be in the center of attention. Do you want one more person around? Or will have more than enough with me and the nurses and midwife?"  
"I don't know…what I know, I can never have enough of you."  
"Ditto." Sara kissed her lover softly. "Time to sleep, we have work to do tomorrow."  
"Mhm…I need to close cases again. You know, the family with the B&E wanted to give me something for finding their things, William told them, I can't take presents, they should donate money for a wildlife foundation in my name."  
"That's a good idea."  
"I knew you'd like it too.  
"How much was the stuff worth you found?"  
"A couple of millions."  
"A couple of millions? You definitely deserve a thank you."  
"As long as I've your love, I've all I want." The blonde slipped onto the brunette and kissed her passionately. Maybe they could spare a few more minutes before they slipped into sweet dreams. 

10th of August Friday

"All done, only two hours longer than planned." Sara opened the car door. A long day at work with a lot of happy children faces.   
"Yeah, they couldn't get enough of all the animals and really wanted to see a bear. Winnie the Pooh." Stephen laughed.   
"Unfortunately our Winnie the Pooh isn't that friendly."  
"But cute. I like bears."  
"Me too. Although I've a lot of respect for them. When they chase you, they're faster, can swim, climb, you have no chance to escape."  
"That's why you have a gun."  
"I hope I will never use it."   
"Do you think I can become a ranger too?"  
"Sure, why not?"  
"Don't know…bad influence on children?"  
"Bullshit."  
"You're not supposed to swear when kids are around."  
"You're not a kid and you know worse words."  
"Maybe."  
"I'm sure you do. So, got plans for tonight? Anything special going on at your place?"  
"No, we're not allowed to have parties."  
"That sucks. Do you have a pool table or anything you can spend time with?"  
"No, only board games. Do you want to see the place?"  
"Sure, why not? It has been a while since I lived in one, I hope things have changed."  
"Probably not a lot. I asked our prison guard if you're allowed to get in. After all, you're a woman, maybe you get the guy in the wrong mood."  
"I'm sure they've seen a woman before. Daily."  
"Not such a beautiful one."  
"What do you want?"  
"Why?"  
"Because when Sofia says things like you do, she wants something. What do you want?"  
"Nothing…how is Sofia's mother?"  
"Fine. The doctor I called yesterday came over in the evening to check on her; after the Captain put up an argument about her not needing medical treatment. Her head is fine, her ego is a little bit bruised. She refuses to talk about what happened, to keep her face."  
"That's good. I mean, that she's fine."  
"Got a strong mind and a hard head, like her daughter."  
"Would she say the same about you? Sofia?"  
"Probably she would add stubborn to the list and mean."  
"Mean?"  
"Yeah, I like teasing her, something we have in common."  
"She makes you happy."  
"She saved my life. Literally."  
"How that? Have you been held at gunpoint and she shot the man?"  
"No, I was abducted and left in the desert to die. Sofia and another colleague found me, but it had been her idea to drive to this area. And when I came to Los Angeles, she was a big help, saved me again. This time mentally."  
"Means, she has no other choice than staying with you."  
"Yeah, I'll chain her to me if she tries to leave." Sara smiled. Hadn't Sofia told her she'd do the same in case Sara wanted to leave her? Chain her to their bed?   
"That's illegal."  
"Only when somebody finds out what I do. When I keep it a secret, hold her like my private pet, nobody can call the police."  
"Her parents will miss her."  
"Her parents are on my side, no problems here. The Captain tells her all the time to be nice to be so I don't leave her."  
"She should support her daughter."  
"In Marie's eyes I'm like a daughter and she's more a mother to me than my real mother ever was. That was the point, where you made a mistake, when you tried to tell her, I'm gone. She knew when you said, my mother is in town, you were lying. My mother and me don't have any contact, she has no idea where I live and will never show up. And if she did, I'd never go and meet her."  
"Okay."  
"So the next time the Captain shows up, just tell her where I am." Sara stopped her car in front of the children's home. "Shall I wait outside until you've talked to your social worker if I'm allowed to go in?"  
"Yeah, lets hope the prison guards are in a good mood." Stephen made a grimace.   
"Don't call them prison guards, that should help." She got out of the car and leant on it. A few children were outside, there was a swing, a table tennis area and a net for basketball. At least some kind of fun activity for the boys.   
"Are you Sara?" A little boy looked up to her, he had to be around seven or eight.   
"Yes and who are you?"  
"Andy."  
"Hi Andy. How do you know my name?"  
"You brought Stephen here. Are you here to pick him up and become his mother?"  
"Uhm…no…" Sara was confused. Did taking Stephen back to the children's home mean, she wanted to be his mother? Were only future mothers allowed to be here?   
"Why not? He talks about you all the time, really likes you. Don't you like him?"  
"Of course I like him."  
"Don't you like children?"  
"I like children."  
"Why don't you want Stephen to be your child? Do you have a lot of children already?"  
"Uhm, no."   
"He really likes you, I've never seen him as happy as he is when he talks about you."  
"I…"  
"Miss Sidle?"   
Sara was glad when a man called her. The question Andy asked her, what he told here about Stephen…made her uncomfortable.   
"Yes?"  
"I'm Tom, Stephen's social worker. He said you'd like to see the house."  
"If that's okay."  
"Sure, I need to show you around, safety reasons."  
"Of course." She looked at Andy. "Nice meeting you, Andy. I see you around."   
"Bye Sara."  
She followed Tom inside, where Stephen was. The building was old, around a hundred years and needed a little bit of renovation at some places. At least in Sara's eyes.   
"This is community area, the kids are allowed to he here until ten pm, depending on their age an if there's school the next day."  
Sara noticed there were several couches, one TV and a shelf with board games.   
"How many children live here?"  
"Forty, between four and seventeen. The kitchen is over there, it's closed at the moment. Over there is a reading room, which is mostly empty. Kids nowadays don't read anymore." Tom looked at Stephen, who was quiet.   
"The next two levels are the bed- and bathrooms. Each room is for two boys, we try to have boys at the same age in the room."  
"Are the boys allowed to have visitors?"  
"Only when they ask for it and the visitors can only be taken inside when a social worker is around. If we allow them to bring friends home, we make it too easy for drug dealer." They walked up a staircase. The walls were in deep blue, needed a paint and the carpet on the floor was dirty. Sara was reminded of one of the foster homes she stayed in, not a pleasant thought. Although Tom tried to be nice, she didn't like him. He made this sound like they were in a mix between a zoo and a prison, she understood why Stephen called his social worker prison guards. She'd feel the same.   
"This is Stephen's room. I hope you cleaned it up, young man."  
"Yes Sir." It was the first time Stephen talked.   
"Good. Open the door."   
He did as he was told and Sara found herself in a three by four yards room, with two single bed and a two small wardrobe. No desk, no shelf, no poster on the wall.   
"Where are you doing your homework? You don't have a desk."  
"If he does his homework, we have a room for that in another building. All children are required to go there when they come home from school, if they really do their homework or just sit around and read comics, we can't control. The marks show it later."  
"What about poster? These walls look so empty."  
"Not allowed. Poster damage the wall and we can't allow them in case some might pin up inappropriate poster."  
Worse than prison. Even in prison you were allowed to have poster or photos on your wall. How was somebody supposed to feel like home in here?   
"Is Stephen doing good at work? Or is he giving you a hard time?"  
Stephen's eyes turned big, thinking about the incident yesterday. When his social worker heard what he did, he'd be in big trouble.   
"He's very good and we all enjoy working with him. It would be great when he could continue his work after the holidays, like on the weekends, when he has the time and not has to learn for school. It's also a good way to keep him out of trouble, I assume the boys spend some time on the street."  
"We can't lock them in. The problem is, we have no way to send him to the forest, the car is only for the holidays and we can't buy him bus tickets."  
"There are no buses going into the forest, I could pick him up and take him back. Or, he comes by bus to Silver Lake and I take him from there with me. Would that be possible?"  
"I've to talk about that with my boss, but I think it's a good idea to keep him out of trouble. Plus he learns what work means."  
"He's a good worker. We had a group of children in the forest today, he was really good with them, they loved him." Sara smiled. "Would you like to work on Saturdays in the forest? And have Sundays off?"  
"I can also come in on Sundays."  
"Don't you want a day off?"  
"No, that's fine. When you're not working on the weekend, I will have a day or two off."  
"Okay, your social worker checks in with his boss, I talk to my boss. I'm sure he lets you stay, he likes you." Sara slapped his shoulder softly. "You've a good boy here, Tom. A really good boy and a hard worker."  
"Unfortunately he doesn't show this here."  
"I'm sure the time in the forest will be good for him."  
"Lets hope you're right, Miss Sidle. Shall I escort you out?"  
"Yes. I see you back at work tomorrow, Stephen."  
"See you Sara. Say hello to your family."  
"I will." She smiled at him before she left the building with Tom. Hopefully her words did an impact on the man and his colleagues. She had tried everything to make Stephen look good and she meant every word she said. 

"How is your head?" Sara asked Marie when she came back home. Her mother-in-law had the dogs around her, who ignored her order to stay down and greeted Sara.   
"Good. How is the assailant?" Marie shot back dryly.   
"Worried he injured you badly."  
"Did you tell him I'm fine?"  
"Yes and that you won't call LAPD and let him arrest."  
"No, I won't…never! A can of coke."  
"Weapon of choice. He scarified his coke for me."  
"I'm impressed."  
"He doesn't get coke in the children's home, the money they give him is also not much, so when he buys himself a can of coke, it's a little celebration. But he wanted to spend his money on flowers for you. I told him you're not into flowers."  
"No, not at all." Marie sipped on her coffee. "You like this boy."  
"Yeah, he's…I think he has been through a lot and we share kind of the same experiences. An invisible bond."  
"What did he do to end up in the forest?"  
"Took a few cars and motorbikes for a ride until they were out of petrol. Left them not too far away from where he took them."  
"Boys will be boys."  
"Yeah. Do you think everything will be all right with Sofia and the baby? I mean…we're still in this twelve week thing…"  
"Sara, I'm sure everything will be all right. She's still pregnant, her doctor told you everything is fine at the moment, when she takes care of herself, the baby will stay. You don't lose your baby for no reason. If she starts chasing bad guys, getting into fights, things will change, but I'm sure she's smart enough not to do this."  
"Sometimes she doesn't have a choice…when she's at a crime scene and the officers didn't look carefully enough for an assailant…"  
"She knows what she's doing, she was a cop." Marie took Sara's hand. "Don't worry, everything will be all right. You take care of her, her boss makes sure she doesn't work at dangerous places and Greg always has an eye on her."  
"He can't be there all the time."  
"As far as I heard they work almost every case together. At least when it's a case for two CSIs."  
"I wish we were already parents, less things to worry about."  
Marie started laughing. "Oh believe me, as soon as the baby is born, the problems and worry really start. You worry if they eat and drink enough, too much, if they're all right, if the behavior is normal. Why they cry, if it's because they're in pain, need something or just because they have no other way of communicating with you. Then they start crawling and you worry, they vanish out of your eyes when you just turn, it gets worse when they walk, you think, they run away, touch anything bad, hurt themselves, so many things can happen if you just turn your back for a second, the world is a bad place. And I won't start about school and teenager activities. They steal your goodnight sleep when they're out and worry if they're all right and come home safely."  
"Great, now I worry even more. And let me guess: you never stop worrying."  
"Only when you stop loving your child."  
"I'm not sure I want a child anymore." Could she handle all the pressure? React in the right way?   
"Of course you do, it's the best thing that can happen to you."  
"No, Sofia is the best thing ever happened to me."  
Marie smiled. "You'll be all right, Sara. And so will Jamie. And it's normal you worry so much, every mother does. I drove my mother crazy when I was pregnant."  
"It's good to have you here, to talk to you."  
"That's why we came over, to be there for you and Sofia. And we'll be here again when the twelve weeks are over and the two of you are ready to celebrate."  
"Good. And soon you'll live here."  
"Yeah…I'm not used to the thought about living in Los Angeles, but we look forward being around our grandchild every day."  
"You won't miss work?"  
"I will, but I'm sure Jamie will take my mind off work pretty soon. Plus, I would miss work in Vegas too, probably go every day to the department, only to see if they need me."  
"Of course they do."  
"Thanks, but I have to accept, my cop time is over by the end of the year and something new will come. First we move to L.A., then Sofia's last weeks of pregnancy, the birth of Jamie, looking after him or her every day. A lot of changes, a lot of goodbyes and a lot of hellos to new people. Life will never stop, it changes every day and it's up to you if these changes are good or bad. My intentions are to make them good."  
"No wall cop job? Or private security?"  
"Never. My grandchild will be my job and I'm sure it's the best job I ever had." Marie got her arm around Sara. Yes, there were so many things you could worry about, but why make your life harder by doing so? Challenges could be fun, they could bring you good changes. The first grandchild was the best change in her life since the birth of her two children. 

Sara's fingers linked with Sofias and both exchanged a smile. They walked around the reservoir in Silver Lake, dogs on the leashes, a bottle of water in their hands and on their way to the dog's playground. The west side of the reservoir was already in shade, the sun was behind the hill, turning the east side into a warm golden glow and cut the water of the little lake into grayish in the shade and blue in the sun. Their own house was in the sun, they could see their balcony from West Silver Lake Drive.  
"I forgot to tell, you had a little stop at an expensive mansion yesterday." Sofia said. Through the incident of her mother, she forgot to tell her lover about what else she did yesterday; beside closing two cases.   
"The case you closed, yes."   
"No, another one, not completely on my way to the lab, but I made it. And I left an invitation for a barbecue at our house."  
"You went to Lou Lee's place?"  
"To the gate, left the invitation with his security guard. Invited him for our twelve weeks celebration. Is that okay with you?"  
"You have to ask Tanya, she wanted to see him, I don't really case. As long as he keeps his hands off you."  
"I like the jealous Sara, she's very sexy." The blonde bent over and kissed her lover.   
"You're always sexy." Sara opened the gate to let the dogs in the park. "Time to play, see your friends and be friendly, no fights."   
"Our dogs never fight, they try to settle fights." Sofia defended their dogs.   
"Sure, never trouble maker. Like their mommy."   
"We're both their mommies, were you a trouble maker?"  
"Still am." Sara grinned. They sat on a bank under a tree, the brunette pulled the blonde in her arms, sitting behind her, her hand on the belly of the other woman. Too early, much too early to feel the baby, but the idea of having her hand close to their baby, was nice.   
"Do you think Jamie listens to us?"  
"Jamie doesn't have ears yet. Week eighteen is the week, when we have to stop swearing."  
"Right, until then we can talk about presents and everything without spoiling the fun. You know, I can listen right now, you don't have to wait a couple of more weeks until I listen."  
"What do you mean?"  
"You've got something on your mind, why not share it?" The blonde squeezed the hand of her lover. The whole time she felt, there was something that made Sara thinking.   
"I took Stephen to the children's home today, his social worker and he showed me around."  
"Did it remember you of your own past?"  
"Yes, that's too. These houses haven't changed a lot. Tom, the social worker, is an asshole. He treated Stephen bad, tried to make him look bad. Poor Stephen barely dared to talk with him around. I felt like hugging him, tell him everything is going to be all right."  
"Need some help for that and kicking the ass of the social ass?"  
"It's obvious, he doesn't like it there and I understand why…and when we arrived, he went in, to ask if he can show me around. A little boy came to me and asked, if I want to take Stephen home, become his new mother. He'd talk about me all the time and like me a lot. Gosh, Sofia, he made my heart break." Sara fought with her tears. She couldn't get this scene out of her mind. The little boy asking her, if she didn't like Stephen. Not understanding how you could leave somebody you like at a place like this. And he was so right. It was wrong she left the children's home without Stephen.   
"You like him too."  
"I do, he's a great boy."  
"From what I saw, yes he is. And yes, he really likes you. I bet you were the first one, who believed in him. How often did you think about adopting Stephen?"  
"I guess on my way from the children's home to here, it was the first time I allowed myself the thought. Allowed myself really to think about it. Before, it had crossed my mind a few times, I pushed the thought away, today I couldn't push it away, had to think about it."  
"And?"  
"And…you're pregnant with our child."  
"Is there a new law? Saying you can have only one child? Are we in China? Do they really have this law about one child?"  
"No, but, you're pregnant and…we wanted a baby."  
"If I remember correctly we also talked about adoption a few times because you said, and you're right with that, there are a lot of children waiting for parents. Stephen is one of these children."  
"Can you imagine adopting a fourteen year old boy? Stephen?"  
"Well, I certainly had to meet him more than one time, one time in the police department, maybe he doesn't like me. Need some time to think about it, but I can't see a reason why I shouldn't give him a chance."  
"He knocked your mother out."  
"That's an absolutely plus point for him! He protected my girlfriend, was willing to get into trouble for her and stood up for what he did. I like that kind of attitude. So does my mother. You do something, you take responsibility for it.  
Why don't we both think about it, you're not sure yourself and next week, when I've Monday off, I take you to the forest in the morning, take the dogs for a long there, come back in the afternoon, pick you up and we take Stephen out for some fast food. All teenager love fast food."  
"So do you and you try to use him to get a fatty burger." Sara grinned.   
"Busted, guilty. I want to go to Triple Burger. Please. We can take him with us, if he likes burger and talk. Maybe take Shane comes with us too, so Stephen doesn't feel like being under the microscope. I would if I were in his shoes."  
"Shane loves burger, he'll be happy to join us. I ask them tomorrow."   
"And we see how Stephen reacts when we hold hands and I kiss you. Because these things won't stop when he's here. Kissing women will always be a part of this house…and there is nobody, who can make me stop kissing you. No Stephen, no guest and nobody else."  
"Only I can make you stop."  
"You won't."  
"Only if you give me a reason. Time to go home?"  
"Yeah, the dogs need dinner and I need a shower. Only a little walk and I'm covered in sweat. It's hot today."  
"It is. Why don't we safe the environment and share the shower?"  
"Lovely idea. I can wash your back." Sofia offered.  
"You're so good to me, Darling. How can I thank you?"  
"A couple of kisses will do."   
"You're hired."

Slowly Sofia's hands ran over Sara's naked, wet skin. In little circles she allocated the shower lotion on the back and sides of the brunette.   
"Mhm, like a massage." Sara purred.   
"Soft skin, so nice." Sofia stepped closer to her lover, leant into her back, having her hands now circling the belly of the brunette, her lips kissing the neck, ignoring the water, that came between her lips and Sara. Inch by inch her hands traveled further up, cupping the breasts of the brunette and finally arriving at the nipples, caressing them, massaging them, still kissing the neck.   
"Feels good."   
"Mhm feels very good, I love to feel how you react to my touches, my hands. Can't get enough of that."   
"I won't tell you to stop."  
"Not? Good." She wished she had her left leg complete, so she could get it between Sara's legs, but there was no way she could do that now. She had to leave it on the bath stool, to keep her balance. The shower was slippery, too slippery to stand on one foot.   
"Are you planning to continue this?"  
"No, not for forever." She wrapped her left arm around the brunette, got her hand back to the nipple, continue with strokes, soft pinches, while her right hand started traveling down, circling the bellybutton for a few moments before it vanished between Sara's legs. Even they were in the shower and were wet, she found more wetness, hot wetness.   
Sara tried to turn, but was held tightly. "No chance, Honey, you stay like this. Or do you want me to fall?"  
"I want to have my hands on your too."  
"Sorry, your job is to make sure we remain in an upright position."   
"Not that easy when you do this."  
"So concentrate on my hands."   
"As if I could concentrate on anything else." Sara moaned when Sofia's index finger circled her clit, avoiding the one spot, that would make her go crazy.   
"No need to." Softly the finger hit the hard spot and stayed there for a second, forcing the brunette to moan louder.   
"Somebody likes what I'm doing." Sofia smirked and continued.   
"Oh Honey…when you go on like this…oh my god, you do."  
"Mhm, I like it here, I like the reaction I get." Sofia increased speed and pressure, making Sara's body shake, pressing harder against her hand.   
"That's good."  
"It is." More speed, more pressure, Sara's body had given over control to Sofia, moving exactly in the speed she wanted.   
"Honey, I…gosh…I'll come soon if you don't stop."  
"Can't find a reason to stop in that."   
"Oh god…" The world started turning. Don't fall, don't lose your balance. Hard to do when there was a finger driving you crazy, making you feel like nothing else than the tip of Sofia's finger existed in the world.   
"Soon." The blonde whispered, feeling how her lover was ready to come. Instead of keeping pressure and speed, she added a second finger, double pressure and speed, while her other hand never stopped rubbing the nipple.   
"Oh god." Her world was spinning, there were stars and her body was out of control. Sara felt a huge wave coming up, ready to collapse over her like a wave in the ocean.   
"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!" She screamed, not sure if she lost control and balance to the hard orgasm. Her hands grabbed the handle in the shower, held on to it, while Sofia's fingers didn't slow down and rode her deeper and deeper into the orgasm, making her come longer and harder until she collapsed on the hand and in the arms of her lover. The world was gone, all she saw was gray and she breathed hard.   
Not sure who held whom when Sofia tightened her arms around the waist of the blonde, they kept in this position for a moment, taking their breaths, finding back into balance.   
"Now, that was a nice shower. We should more often safe the environment." Sofia chuckled, placing kisses on Sara's shoulder.  
"Like right now."  
"No, shower time is over. Time to get dressed again. My parents wants to have dinner with us before they leave for the opera."  
"I've some unfinished business to do."  
"To me it sounded like you were done, Honey."  
"With receiving, yes. Not with giving."  
"Sorry, shower time is over, you missed your chance." The blonde smirked and turned.   
"Don't make me grab you and pull you back."  
"I don't, I leave."  
"Exactly."   
"You get your chance later. Maybe." Wrapping herself in a towel, the blonde gave the brunette a smug look. "Used you, made you helpless and now I get some food, get my energy back."  
"You'll pay for that!" Sara protested. How could Sofia just leave? Before she had a chance for a payback? 

"My parents are at the opera, Don is at Tanya's place, Sally and Tony are learning their text for possible new TV shows, the dogs are asleep, where does that leave us?" Sofia asked, putting away the folder with paperwork, that had to be done. It could be the answer to her question, they could work on their paper work, clean up the apartment, check if something in the house needed to be fixed, wash their cars…okay, there was plenty of work left. But not now, not at eight in the evening.   
"In front of the TV, with a senseless TV show? In the garden, enjoying the evening sun?"  
"How about early bedtime? We've to get up early tomorrow, you before five, why not treat ourselves with some sleep? It's what we miss out most times."  
"True. An evening in bed with you? Nothing can hold a candle to that."  
Closing all doors, brushing their teeth, a bottle of water in their hands, they went into their bedroom, closed the window and turned on the aircon. It was too hot most times in summer to sleep without it. The room didn't have to be ice cold, like some shops and bars were, but a temperature under ninety degrees would be nice.   
"This is my most favorite part of the day, when we go to bed and I know, the next hours are ours, we'll be together and nothing will get in between us." Sara sighed happily, pulling Sofia in her arms.   
"Mhm, it's nice. In a few months these days are over, then Jamie will get us out of bed and we'll fight, who has to get up."  
"When I've to work late, I do it so you get some rest. When we both work early, we take turns."  
"The first four weeks I'll be home and you can sleep, no matter when you have to work. If we're lucky our baby will start early to sleep through the nights. Some babies do. Otherwise we leave Jamie with my mom, she has all the time in the world."  
"Your mother looks forward being a grandmother and look after her grandchild, but I'm sure she wants her nights for sleep."  
"Very selfish." The blonde snuggled deeper in the arms of the brunette. Being in Sara's arms, the best place on earth.   
"Some people are." Sara kissed the hair and forehead of the blonde. "You know." She slipped on top of her. "I want payback."  
"Mhm? Oh, you're so resentful."  
"I am." She pulled of the shirt off the other woman. "You don't need this one, Darling, it's warm."   
"All you want is see me naked."  
"Wrong, there is so much more I want and you know what the best is?"  
"What?"  
"I'm going to take everything I want." Taking the left wrist of the blonde and pulling it up, she found the fluffy handcuffs she gave her lover last year and chained the left hand to the bedpost before she did the same with the right one. These two little presents had been very useful a couple of times. Most times they both enjoyed each others hands too much, but now Sara felt like revenge and for revenge, she needed Sofia unable to fight. Or distract her by touching her and make her lose her way.   
"This is deprivation of personal freedom." The protest was full of mock.   
"You can go to your former colleagues tomorrow morning and file a complain. I'm sure they want to hear every detail."   
"I bet I had to tell the story over and over again, until all of them are engaged in other things than their work."  
"Los Angeles criminals would thank you for that." Sara savored for a moment what was in front of her. Her lover, chained to the bed, half naked, in the little bit of light, that came through the curtains into the room. Beautiful. More than beautiful. Breathtaking. Her girlfriend was simply the best of the best.   
"Are you going to stare at me for the rest of the night?" Sofia mocked.   
"Not the worst idea but I think, I've got a better one. First of all, I need to finish undressing you." Carefully she pulled off the shorts, enjoying again the new situation of having Sofia now naked in front of her. All hers.   
"What about yourself?"  
"Nobody undressed me, I guess I've to stay like this."  
"Get me free and I'm more than happy to do it."  
"No, you missed your chance, all you do is wait for what I've planned for you."   
"Isn't skin on skin a nice feeling?"  
"Oh, it is and I plan to experience it. Maybe I leave you here, go out and have fun with somebody else."  
"Sara, the way you looked at me a few seconds ago told me, you don't want anybody else than me in your arms, in bed and your life."   
"My eyes gave me away." The brunette laughed.   
"They did. I love your eyes."  
"I love you."   
"Do I get a kiss?"  
"Yes. Later. I choose where." Sara took off her shirt and shorts and placed herself on top of her lover, taking some of her weight off Sofia by supporting herself with her arms. Usually nothing should happen to the baby when she laid on her lover, but she didn't want to risk anything.   
"I tried to figure out what my favorite part of you is." Softly Sara kissed the throat of the blonde, her lips wandering up to meet the lips of her lover for a passionate kiss. Kissing Sofia never got boring, it always was exciting, made her feel like she was drunk and wanted more and more. She was addicted to the blonde's lips, addicted to kiss, feel, taste them.   
"What is it?"  
"Everything from head to toes." Letting her lips wander further up, she kissed the nose, the eyes, forehead, went down the to the left ear, kissed it, nibbled on it before she changed to the right ear and from here down the throat, sucking the soft skin, biting it, finding the pulse point and staying here for a few seconds, feeling how Sofia's breath got faster.   
"My woman." Her lips traveled over the right arm to the hand, sucking elaborate on each finger.   
"If I were a guy, this would drive me nuts."  
"You're not a guy and it makes you horny. I bet if I let my hand slip between your leg it's hot and wet there."  
"Try it."  
"No, not part of my plan."  
"Not? Why not?"  
"Got other plans." She moved over to the other arm, the other hand and spent the same time here before her lips met Sofia's again. Down on the left side of the throat she kissed the left breast, leaving out the nipple and moved over to the other side and then to the bellybutton.   
"Didn't you forget two very important spots?"  
"No."  
"I think you did."  
"No, I left them out on purpose."  
"Meany."  
"Absolutely." Down the tights of the left leg, spending some time kissing the knee and stump, Sara realized it had taken her lover a while before she allowed her to do this. Too big was the shame, the disgust of herself, thinking Sara could be disgusted when she came close to the stump. Nonsense. How could she find Sofia disgusting when she was the most beautiful woman on earth to her? And no stump and no scars could ever change that.   
"I love you so much, Sofia." Kissing the inner side of the tights she moved straight to the right leg before she only came close to the center. She smelled how aroused her lover was and it made her happy. All because of her, Sara, all because she kissed and caressed her.   
"And yet, you prefer to make me suffer." The protest wasn't a real protest.   
"I made you waiting at the beginning, now I let you wait again."  
"Hopefully not again a couple of months."  
"Weeks."  
"Felt like years."  
"I was there."   
"Not close enough…oh." Sofia moaned when Sara sucked on her toes.   
"Toes are very sensitive."  
"I know other places on my body that are also very sensitive to your tongue."  
"Maybe I come to them later."  
"I really hope you do."  
"We'll see." Taking the inner tight back up, the brunette stopped again before she reached the center and got back up to Sofia's lips, kissing her while her left hand started playing with the right nipple.   
"When am I allowed to join the game?"  
"Not at all."  
"Just a minute…"  
"No." Sara's hand moved to the other nipple. "You stay chained and I will make you scream."   
"Sounds like a good promise."  
"I'm not sure of think the same when you scream." Her lips cupped the nipple, sucked it, bit it softly and kissed it, doing the same with the other. Sitting up, she savored the look of her lover, naked, already covered in sweat, hard nipples, waiting for her to continue. Already hers.   
"So beautiful." Kissing her way down, playing with the bellybutton again, Sara's lips found their way straight to Sofia's center. Softly she kissed the hot and wet skin before her tongue started playing with the clit and made Sofia moan louder.   
"Stop teasing."  
A smirked appeared on Sara's face. No, she wouldn't. This was her part of the game, her payback, she would tease her lover as long as it took her to make her come. No shortcut, no fast relief.   
"Oh god." Sara's tongue just entered her, made Sofia lose it for a moment.   
"Very wet, very hot here."   
"All because of you."  
"Hopefully." Sara kissed the clit again, sucked it.   
"Honey, you drive me crazy."  
That was her plan, the reason why she continued with what she did.   
"I want you inside me."  
Oh, that wouldn't happen. Sara felt how Sofia tried to press her body against her face, to add more pressure to her tongue, so she lifted her head, made the contact almost break, made the blonde bristle with anger.   
"Let me join the game."  
"Sorry, you're chained, you can't do anything."  
"I could if you just turn a little bit, I could do the same to you, what you're doing to me."  
"No, no power for you." And no distraction for her. Letting her tongue circle the clit, caressing the hard spot before she cupped it with her lips and sucked it.   
"Oh god Sara." The moans of her lover made her continue, adding some pressure.   
"I want you, stop teasing."  
Sara put her hands on the tights of the blond, making it obvious, the tease wasn't over. Her hands would stay out of this, just like Sofias. Instead she let her tongue slip inside the blonde again. Gently she sucked before she got back to the little hard spot and sucked it. The legs of the blonde started trembling, got out of her control, the breath was hard, like she was on a hard workout.   
"You…drive me…crazy…oh…don't stop that."  
Not Sara's intention, she liked what she was doing, liked how she felt that Sofia was closer to the edge, tried to fight it off, keep some control, so she added some more pressure and sucked harder.   
"Oh god, Sara…I…oh…" A loud moan and Sara felt how trembles overtook the body of the blonde, made her lose control and come hard. Instead of stopping she added more and more pressure, knowing she tortured her lover, forcing her into a second orgasm without a break.   
"Don't I…" Sofia tried to protest and was overwhelmed by her own body, getting straight into another orgasm before the first one was really over. Tears running down her face, she had lost control over her body, could only let it tremble and tried to breathe between all the moans and pleasure.   
She didn't realized how Sara got back up to her, it was like she lost conscious for a moment, only little kisses on her face, kissing away her tears, got her back.   
"Please…hands."  
Sara freed her lover and was immediately pulled in, tears still running down the blonde's face, her body still trembling. She had lost the control, her conscious and felt…overwhelmed. It scared her now, she had been absolutely out of power, Sara could do with her what she wanted, she had the power over the blonde's body, made it do, what she wanted, not what Sofia wanted.   
"Hey, it's okay, I'm here, everything is fine." Softly Sara kissed her lover, embraced her with her legs. "I love you."  
"You…you…you made me…you took away the control of my body…"  
"I'm sorry." Sara pulled her lover closer. What did she do? It wasn't her intention to scare her lover.   
"It…I was sure I couldn't go any further and you pushed me over another edge."  
"I'm so sorry Sofia."  
The blonde buried her face in the hair of the brunette. "You knocked me out."  
"I never wanted to scare you."  
"I…" Sofia took a deep breath. "It was the first time my body did what somebody else wanted and not what I wanted. Or thought I can do."  
"It was supposed to be nice, I never wanted you to suffer, I'm so sorry." Why did she do this? Why did she go all the way? Why didn't she stop? Sara felt guilty.   
"I love you." The blonde kissed her lover for the first time.   
"And I abused your love."  
"No, you…you just did something I never experienced and it scared me. Not because I don't trust you, because it was new and…I had no idea it was possible."   
"I would never hurt you, that has never been my intention."  
"I know." The blonde closed her eyes. "I'm fine."  
"No, you're not and it's my fault."  
"New experiences can be scary. The next time I'll be fine."  
"There won't be a next time." She wouldn't risk another time, another pain and shock for her lover.   
"Not even when I ask for it."  
"Sofia…you cried, you were horrified. By something I did to you."  
"No, by my body, my experience." The blonde kissed her lover softly. "Maybe I don't know my body not as good as I thought. Or the pregnancy messes me up. The hormones are going nuts, must get into my head too."  
"I'm really sorry."   
"And I really love you. More than anybody else and that hasn't and won't change. The next time you make me lose my mind, I will remember that even when I lose control over my body, it doesn't matter because you're here and you make sure nothing will happen to me. I'm sorry I forgot that."  
"You tried to stop me, I should have listened."  
"And then I had never found out what's possible. No, you did nothing wrong, Sara. The only thing you forgot to do is kiss me…we did have the chance for some kisses and instead of doing that, we talk."  
"Because you are scared."  
"I was and it's over. Like a roller coaster. When you ride it, it can scare you, but afterwards you realize how great it was and get on the ride again. Trusting the security belt to hold you. You're my security, I trust you and I love you. And if you want me happy, you stop blaming yourself. I love you."  
"Love you too."  
"See, that's much better. Can you pass me the water? I don't think I have the complete control over my body back."  
"Sure." Sara got the bottle of water from next the bed, opened it and offered it to her lover.   
"No, I'm too tired to hold it. I'm afraid you need to get the water into my mouth."  
For the first time the brunette smiled a bit, took a deep sip of water, pressed her lips on Sofia's and opened her mouth, letting the water flow into the mouth of the blonde, who drank. Before Sara could get more water for her lover, she was caught in a kiss and Sofia's arms were around Sara's upper body, made it impossible for her to move away.   
But somehow she knew, this would have an after play - not an erotic one. 

13th of August Monday

Sara packed her backpack for the day with plenty of water. It was supposed to be a hot day and she had no idea, if she could get to one of the water fountains. With a gallon in the backpack and one in her car she should be fine.   
"Ready to leave?" She asked Sofia, who came with the dogs into the kitchen.   
"Sure, we're ready to leave."  
"Good. Me too. You drive?"  
"As we take my car, I will drive." The blonde held up her keys. "But we have a few more minutes, don't we?"  
"I thought we're ready to leave?"  
"Yes…but…can we talk?"   
"Sure…and we can't talk in the car because?"  
"Okay, forget lets get you to work." The blonde sighed, turned and walked out of the kitchen.   
Irritated Sara starred after her girlfriend before she followed her. When she sat in the car and Sofia was about to start the engine, she took the hand of the blonde.   
"What's wrong?"  
"Nothing."  
"Sofia."  
"You wanted to talk while we drive, didn't you?"  
"What would you like to talk about?"  
"Nothing that can't wait until…some time else."  
"Why not now?"  
"You don't want to talk."  
"Okay, lets cut through the crap and tell me what's wrong."  
The blonde leant back. "Why don't you tell me? I mean…since Friday night you barely touch me, leave alone have sex with me. Why?"  
Sara's face got dark and she swallowed hard. Not a topic she wanted to talk about, not here, not today, not at all. The problem was, it was the topic and she couldn't ignore it, that wouldn't be fair. And she had hurt her lover enough. "Because…I overstepped a limit."  
"Honey, that's bullshit. Yes, I was scared, but not because of what you did, but because of how my body reacted, that I had no control anymore. I'm used to be in control all the time, or if I lose control it's because I chose so and know exactly when I get back control. Friday, I was surprised, I had no control, no idea when I get it back. That was scary but it was worth it. You did nothing wrong Friday night, you never hurt me. On the other hand, since Saturday morning you hurt me by acting like the way you do. You withdraw yourself, you keep me out, barely want me in your arms. I feel like I destroyed our relationship."  
"No, you didn't. I did."  
"You didn't. But you will damage it when you don't stop doing what you are doing. I love you and I want to feel you, have you in my arms, sleep with you."  
"I don't want to hurt you again."  
"Then stop acting the way you do now."   
Sara took Sofia's hand, fought with her tears. It wasn't as easy as it should be. Not for her. She had seen too often how people got hurt in their own house, by people, who were supposed to love them. She overstepped a line and felt like she physical abused her lover, the same way like she had slapped her. A good intension didn't make an act good. "I'm scared."  
"Darling, how often did we sleep together?"  
"Uhm…I don't know."  
"A lot of times. How often did you hurt me?"  
"Once."  
"Never. And don't you dare to say anything else. You never did anything wrong. I must know if you hurt me because I'd feel it if you do. Or do you know better what's going on inside me than I do?"  
"No." Sara swallowed.   
"Good. Now, one more time and I hope you will understand my words, which shouldn't be a problem, considering you're a damn smart woman. You never hurt me, you did nothing wrong. It was the moment, that scared me, the new experience and a lot of excitement. Yes, I was unstable for a moment, yes there were tears, no it wasn't because you hurt me or did anything wrong. It was a physical reaction. My first roller coaster ride made my cry and scared me to death too, but after ten minutes I was back in there again, enjoying the thrill and what this thing could do to me. I love what you do to me, I love experience new things with you. I trust you with all my heart and soul and as long as you love me, you can never hurt me. And if you don't want me to get out of the car and stay home, you better get over yourself, pull me in your arms and kiss me, because I deserve a kiss." Sofia crossed her arms and looked provoking at her lover.   
Sara grabbed the collar of the Sofia's shirt, pulled her over and kissed her, still pulling the blonde over so that she almost ended up on her lap.   
"You deserve more than a kiss." The brunette whispered.   
"I know but we don't have the time for more."  
"Do you think we can make up later? After we come home, take the dogs for a walk? Have the evening for ourselves?"  
"My parents are gone, Don, Tony and Sally can entertain themselves, we should be fine." Sofia smiled.   
"Sounds like we have a deal. I might have some champagne hidden, want to drink it?"  
"From your bellybutton?"  
"If you want."  
"I do."  
"Then my bellybutton will be your glass. Can I have my champagne from your lips?"  
"Whatever you want."  
"I want you." Sara kissed her lover again. This was better than fighting. She didn't want to fight with the woman she loved. Like she didn't want to hurt her.

"I hate to say this, but I've to cancel our date." Shane said to Sara.   
"We had a date?"  
"Yes, late lunch date today. Just got a text from my chick, she wants to go to the beach with me. I upset her yesterday and should be nice today otherwise I will have another lonely Christmas."  
"You upset her?"  
"Boys night out…too much alcohol…I took the guys home, we partied there, she wasn't impressed to find half a dozen drunken men in the living room - some dressed up like cartoon characters, decorated in empty beer bottles."  
"I can understand her."  
"That's why I've to be nice today, go with her to the beach and invite her to dinner. Sorry."  
"It's okay, you get a second chance."  
"Good. Stephen can eat my burger, when I was his age, I was hungry all the time. Especially when there were burger."  
"That hasn't changed."  
"True." He grinned. "See you tomorrow. When will you leave?"  
"As soon as Sofia is back with the dogs, she took them to another walk and should be back any second."  
"Hi, I'm ready to leave. Sorry I let you wait." Stephen said when he came out of the hut.  
"We're still waiting for Sofia."  
"And I leave you alone with the girls, my better half requests me at the beach and I'm in no position to deny her wish. I tell you, Stephen, girlfriends are work. Make sure you pick an easy one."  
"I keep that in mind."  
"Good. See you tomorrow. Say hello to Sofia."  
"Will do." Sara sat down.   
"They wanted to do trail number four, should be back any minute." Stephen sat next to Sara.   
"Probably the dogs found interesting traces and needed a minute more. We're not in a hurry, are we?"  
"No, the children's home won't run away. Unfortunately."  
"Did you tell them why you come back later?"  
"No, I told them you take me home when we're done, they never questioned that. Where will we go to?"  
"I'm not the burger person, you have to discuss that with Sofia." They decided it was better to ask Stephen where he wanted to go instead of taking him to a place without asking.   
"What will you eat?"  
"Fries and salad."  
"Doesn't sound very exciting."   
"Fast food is never exciting."  
"Burgers are."  
"You can't convince me to eat meat, Stephen. No chance."  
"Leave her with the salad, this way there'll be more burgers for us." Sofia came with the dogs back. "Sorry, Scooby had the idea he could catch a squirrel. He actually tried to jump up a tree."  
"Stupid dog, you can't climb up them, you're not a squirrel." Sara hugged the dog. "Come on, time to leave. Sofia, Stephen asked where you want your burger."  
"I thought of Triple Burger when that's fine with you?"  
His eyes became huge. "Triple Burger? Seriously? There's only one Triple Burger in Los Angeles, in Malibu. It's like burger heaven."  
"Yeah, have you been there?"  
"No, some of the older guys have been there, with friends from school, when they were supposed to be at school, but preferred the burger. Must be the best of the best. You really want to go there?"  
"As you said, the best of the best."  
"But it's in Malibu. Not even close on our way back, it's a big detour."  
"Is that a problem for you?" The blonde smiled.  
"No…I never thought adults would drive this far only to eat a burger."  
"Adults don't do that, Sofia does." Sara grinned and blinked at her lover.   
"My girlfriend doesn't allow me to have burger so often, when I have one, I want the best." The blonde started the car.   
"You're not allowed to eat burger whenever you feel like it? Welcome to the club. I didn't know Sara is a prison guard too."  
"No, she isn't, she's a loving partner, who worries about me. Honey, you are aware I will order a triple burger with triple cheese and extra sauce?"  
"I am and you are aware that I will eat your fries while you get a side salad to your burger."  
"What? No fries? A full burger experience includes fries. Extra large fries with three different dips."  
"No, the burger has enough fat, you don't need extra fat with fries. Any problems with that?"  
Sofia sighed. So much for her perfect burger dinner/late lunch. "She destroyed my combo. Burger with salad…am I allowed to drink Sprite? Or must I drink water?"  
"You can have your Sprite or Fanta, as long as you don't drink Coke."  
"Am I allowed to have the combo with coke?" Stephen asked carefully. When Sara was this strict, maybe there were rules for him too. His whole life was filled with rules.   
"You can eat whatever you want." Sara smiled. "If you want everything in extra large, it's fine."  
"Thanks. Shane is right, girlfriend are difficult."  
"No." Sofia laughed. "It's not like this all the time. Usually I can have fries and coke with my burger, at the moment it's different because caffeine is not on my food and drink list anymore. Same with alcohol. And I have to eat more healthy stuff, less fun stuff."  
"Why? Are you ill?"  
"No."   
"Sofia is pregnant, remember? The doctor gave her a list of things she isn't supposed to do anymore. Fast food was on the reduce or leave it out list."  
"Right, I forgot, Sara told me about it. How do you feel? Do you feel pregnant?"  
"No, not at all. I do have side effects, but I don't feel like there's a baby in me."  
"Must feel strange the first time it kicks you…but how did you get pregnant? You're with Sara."  
"And I never didn't sleep with a man, never betrayed her. I had an IV treatment, Sara is the mother of the baby, it has her DNA, the father is a friend of ours, I'm the surrogate mother. This way I've some impact of the baby too."  
"But you are still working?"  
"So far neither the doctor nor Sara have forbidden me to work - and if they get to this idea before I'm ready to stay home because I can't move anymore, they'll get in trouble with me."  
"Great, we'll fight in a few months…good to know this in advance." Sara sighed. She hoped doctor Blumfield was on her side. The idea of a very pregnant Sofia in the field was nothing Sara liked. Her girlfriend and their baby were better off when both stayed at home, or at least in the lab. 

"Look at that! Soft white bread, a layer of golden cheese, crispy meat on top, a lost tomato and cucumber slice, red sauce, cheese, meat, healthy shit, yellow sauce, cheese, meat, healthy shit, bbq sauce, another slice of bread. This is art." Sofia looked at her burger like other people look at a Picasso. With the difference, people didn't start drooling when they saw a Picasso - did they?   
"No, these are hundreds of calories, artificial flavor, fat, salt…"  
"Eat my fries." She interrupted her lover. "My golden, crispy fries…do I get one?"  
"No."  
"Please."   
"Don't you have enough fat and oil there?"  
"No." Sofia stole some fries and stuffed them in her mouth before Sara could do anything, which made Stephen laugh.   
"No dessert for you."  
"The way I know you, dessert is something like a fruit salad, don't need that one after I've to eat this garden here." She stabbed a tomato from her salad. How boring. Salad. Not even a nice sauce was on top. How was anybody supposed to enjoy this food?   
"Chocolate cheesecake. At least that's what they offer if I remember correctly."  
"Oh, I'm so in for dessert."  
"No, you're not, you had fries." Sara grinned.   
"I can offer you a bite of my burger for them."  
"No, thanks."  
"I tried, didn't I Stephen?"  
"You know she doesn't eat meat." Stephen said between burger and fries. He was over the moon with his super combo and large coke, refill coke.   
"Not the point."  
"Exactly the point. Only because you're picky you can't punish me. Besides chocolate has calcium Same for cheese, so it's healthy. Plus it makes me happy, very important for Jamie and me."  
"Who is Jamie?" Stephen asked.   
"Our baby. We have no idea if it's a boy or girl, so we named it Jamie, after Baby seemed not very personal and somebody called it snowflake."  
"It's how Jamie looked. Or looks. It's time to get a new photo of him. Her."  
"Could there be twins?"  
"No, no twins, only one baby. Are you saying I look fat?" Sofia furrowed her brows.   
"No! Of course not!" The boy said quickly. "Just asking because at IV they use most times more than one egg."  
"We had two, one didn't make it. You were very fast with your answer if I'm fat."  
"Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorned."   
"You mean: Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." Sara said. "It's from Congreve."  
"Uhm, maybe."  
"Trust her, she's a nerd, she knows things like that." Sofia said. "Probably read the book."  
"I did, indeed."  
"Will you read this stuff to the baby? Or normal stories? Like Sleepy Beauty?"  
"Sleepy Beauty. Although, some of these fairy stories are really not suitable for children in their original version. I read the first version of Little Red Riding Hood, nothing you want children to hear."  
"Where did you get that from? The internet?"  
"No, a library."  
"Believe it or not, Sara does have book shelves and she reads real books and not e-books. Means, when we go on vacation, we need a bigger suitcase for all the books. Because I'm the same, I prefer a real book when I'm on the beach and read."  
"And when you go into the water and somebody steals your paperback book you don't lose so much as if when somebody steals your Kindle or whatever." Stephen said.   
"Exactly. Do you have a Kindle?"  
"No. No Kindle, no iPod, no laptop. We're not supposed to have these things, or a cell phone. It's against policy. Some guys have them anyway, but when the prison guards find them, they take them away. Isn't that a kind of stealing?" He looked at Sofia. As a former cop, she must know if they could do anything against.   
"Well, if these are the rules, you can't do anything. When the rule says, you're not allowed to have a cell phone and you do have one, they can take it away, but must keep it and give it back to you when you move out. Otherwise they act illegal."  
"Bugger."  
"This social worker, Tom, you don't like him, do you?"   
"No, he's an asshole. Treats us like criminal garbage, like loser, who can't do anything right. Sticks to the rules all the time. You come home five minutes too late, you're grounded for a week."  
"I'd grounded all the time." Sofia sighed. "Being on time as a teenager was impossible for me. My mother had a fifteen minutes tolerance limit, most times I came in ten seconds before it ended."  
"How is she?"  
"Arresting criminals, kicking asses, enjoying her last months at work. Your coke didn't harm her."  
"I hurt her."  
"You wanted to safe Sara. She could have told you she's her mother-in-law, no, she has to play bad ass cop. Her own fault when she gets hit on the head. Not mentioning the fact, she isn't supposed to carry her gun when she's off duty in a different state. Won't get that out of her."  
"She'll babysit with a loaded gun?"  
"No, there won't be any weapons around Jamie, my mother knows this rule."  
"Curtis women love their weapons." Sara grinned. "Got one, who wants to take hers with her when we're on vacation. Amazing women and a piece of work."   
"Your amazing woman gets the cake now and she doesn't accept any arguments from her girlfriend. It's cake time. And time for some drinks. Hey Jamie, don't you have your empty water bottle with you?"  
"Yes, why?"  
"Fill it up with coke, this way you have some for later."  
"They don't like it when you do that."  
"You're a clever boy, do it in a way they won't see it." The blonde answered and walked to the counter.   
"She's cool." Stephen said.   
"She'll teach the baby all the things, it's not supposed to do. And she shifted the salad in a way it looks like she ate most of it, little cheat."  
He laughed. "Are you like this all the time? Arguing?"  
"We don't argue, we fight for the upper hand."  
"Who wins?"  
"I think we're even."  
"Most people fight and hurt each other when they argue."   
"That happens something, it's natural. As long as you apologize and try not to fight about the same thing again, don't hurt your partner on purpose, it's okay. Nobody agrees on everything with their partner all the time because people are different."  
"Keep it fair."  
"Exactly. And be honest. Nothing is worse than a lie, it hurts more than the truth, no matter how cruel the truth it is."  
"You'll be a great mother."   
"I hope, but there're a lot of things I need to learn."  
"A smart woman like you will learn everything in no time."   
"You don't have to charm me, Stephen, you can eat the cake. It's the greedy blonde, who ordered two slices of cake for herself, ate one while she pretended to wait for the rest so I can't see it."  
"How do you know?" He looked surprised. Sara sat with her back to Sofia and the counter, how did she know what the blonde did? He saw it, but he looked in that direction.   
"I know her. Lets not tell her I know, she'll tell me later. When she feels guilty and is full with chocolate."  
"Will you give her a hard time?"  
"No, I will pack her an extra apple for tomorrow."   
"That's a fair punishment." He smiled. Why did nobody punish him with an apple when he didn't stick to the rules? 

Quiet music in the background, candle lights, sheets on the ground, arms and legs linked with each other. No clothes between them, only skin on skin.   
"I missed your touch." Sofia nibbled on Sara's shoulder. After two days of more or less living like siblings, they were back in their love relationship life. The life both missed.   
"Ditto." The brunette stroke softly over the blonde's back. When they came back home, they took the dogs out for another short walk, fed them and went into their room. A lot of kisses, caress and gently love making.   
"Without you, without feeling your skin, your arms around me, your kisses, my life isn't complete. The last two nights, I was in your arms but it felt like I wasn't there. Like you didn't want me there, wished me away."  
"I never wish you away, I love you and I'm only happy when you're with me. The reason why I kept you at a certain distance was, I was afraid I'd hurt you again. Overstep a line."  
"You never overstepped a line."  
"It took a while for me to understand it, I was too scared. You were shocked because of something I did, that torn apart my heart."  
"We should talk more. And listen more."  
"Yes."  
"Kiss more." The blonde kissed her lover softly. "Much more."  
"Take care of each other." Sara stroke softly over Sofia's belly. "How is Jamie?"   
"Jamie loves burger. We should have them more often."  
"Nice try, Honey." Sara smiled.   
"It's true. Jamie doesn't like having only healthy stuff all the time, some fat and calories are great too. We need them, they make us happy, gives us energy."  
"Mhm and when your pants don't fit anymore you whine."  
"It won't take long until they don't fit anymore because Jamie is growing. Soon you have a fat girlfriend and she'll be very upset when you don't desire her anymore only because she looks like a whale. Like she has a basketball under her shirt."  
"Actually I look forward to see you with your baby belly. Will make you so sexy and I can kiss it. At the moment I've to look for your belly, in a few months your belly will be out and ready to be kissed whenever I'm around. Like Jamie hides now but will get out to explore more."  
"Yes, explore more cotton."  
"With every inch of your belly growing, we get a step closer to holding Jamie in our arms."  
"I'll be jealous when you have our baby in the arms the whole time and not me."  
"There are two arms, one for you, one for Jamie."  
"What about Stephen?"  
"Stephen thinks you're cool." The brunette smiled.   
"He's such a smart boy. I'm sure he'd enjoy burgers every week, don't you think?"  
"I'm sure you enjoy burgers every week. First Jamie, now Stephen. You try to use other people to get to your food. Did you enjoy the cake so much?"  
Sofia's face turned red. "Yes…and maybe…I need to tell you something…"  
"Like you ordered more than three slices and had one at the counter?"  
"How do you know? You sat with your back to me."   
"I know you. Stephen was impressed when I told him, you're eating a slice now, so I can't tell you off for having two. He saw you doing it but didn't say a word."  
"And you scared him with eyes on the back of your head."  
"No, I impressed him with how good I know you. Your punishment is an extra apple tomorrow. A punishment he liked."  
"I bet he does. An extra apple, okay I can do that. Even two. Why don't I fix us some fruit salad for tomorrow night? Jamie does like fruits, when I cover them when chocolate sauce."  
"No chocolate sauce."  
"Okay, just fruits. Fine. But I still think, we should take Stephen out for fast food once a week. It's a good way to get to know him. If you don't like Triple Burger, how about Subway? It's a lot of salad and only a little bit unhealthy, depends on the bread. We get a sub, eat it at the beach. Did you see how much he enjoyed the beach? I bet he doesn't get there often."  
"Probably not. We can take the dogs with us, let them run, he liked the dogs too. Do you think we're allowed to take him to the beach on a Sunday? Or officially after work? I've no idea how the children's home react when we take him there. If they give him and us a hard time when they find out. Sand hides everywhere, when he comes back and they find sand in his clothes, he might end up in trouble."  
"True, we should ask first. If he wants to go there with us, but after I'm cool…who doesn't want to spend time with a cool chick? Cool. beautiful, smart, pregnant. Just like you, besides the pregnant."  
"You forgot the smug."  
"Yeah, you're smug instead of pregnant, but I wanted to say only nice things." The blonde kissed her lover playfully. "You're also mean, moody, a smart-ass and…" The rest was washed away by a kiss.   
"Careful, my Darling. Only because you're pregnant you're not allowed to do everything."  
"I'm pregnant with your child, I am allowed to do everything and you still love me. No matter what I say or do."  
"Our child."  
"Right, our child. Three more weeks and we get a new photo. And then we can start to think about a name."  
"More important, after the next appointment with the doctor, we're almost done with the twelve weeks."  
"True. Nevertheless, we need to think about names, Sara. Do you have any favorites?"   
"Shouldn't we ask Don too?"  
"He is a Donald Junior, if we have a son, I don't want a Donald Junior. Or Donald Junior II. Our child is supposed to have his own name. And I'd like to have a name starts with 'S', like our names."  
"Stephen will fit in this family perfectly, if we decide we adopt him. And he wants us."  
"Yes. Imagine him and my mother in a shopping center. Buying coke. Oh, I really wish I could have seen that."  
"You're mean."  
"I learnt from the best."   
"Go to sleep, we have to get up early tomorrow."  
"Yeah, back to crime. My boss still wants you to join the team, said we could work together."  
"No, thanks. I worked enough cases with you. I stay in the forest, away from crime."  
"If you ever have a crime scene in the forest, will you call me?"  
"We had a couple of crime scenes, so I've been told. If I ever find a body at work, I will call Don, he's the cop."  
"I was a lieutenant."  
"You were, yes. Now you're a CSI and come to the scene after the cop is there. By the time you arrive, I've collected all the evidence, bagged it, took photos and all you have to do is take the whole lot back to the lab."  
"Nice. Will you give me the address of the killer too?"  
"Sure, there should be enough time to figure this out too."  
"It's really a pity you don't like crime scenes anymore, but you're happy as a ranger and I want you happy. Plus, I like to see you in your uniform when I come along and pick you up. Very sexy. Don't you want to take it home? Wear it here for me?"  
"Will you wear your police uniform?"  
"Uhm…I never liked the uniform."  
"I think it's sexy."  
"You're just saying this to tease me."  
"Would rip it off you, can't resist you in uniform."  
"You're not playing fair."  
Sara smirked and kissed her lover. "I guess I sleep now, dream of you in uniform and what I do with you, after I undress you…mhm…nice ideas coming up my mind."   
"Tomorrow, I'll have a look for this damn uniform." Sofia snuggled into Sara's arms. If Sara liked to take off the uniform, Sofia didn't have to wear it for a long time. A small sacrifice she could make for a greater good. 

17th of August Friday

"Say 'thanks' to your mother-in-law."   
"Huh? Why?" Sara looked surprised at Stephen. Was Marie back? As far as she knew, her mother-in-law wasn't due for a visit. Did she come over to surprise them and waited outside? And why wanted Stephen to thank her?   
"She sent me a parcel."  
"Really? Did I miss your birthday?"  
"No."  
"What did she send you?"  
"Three dozen of coke cans."  
The brunette looked at him and started laughing. "Seriously? Oh, that's so much Marie. Great. See, she isn't mad."  
"No."  
"And why aren't you happy about it? Do you still feel guilty?"  
"I can't have them."  
"Why not?"  
"The prison guards say so."  
"They took away your coke?" Why? Sara could understood they checked parcels and took out any alcohol or drugs, but coke? Coke couldn't be prohibited.   
"They never gave it to me, only the attached card. Said, that's against rules. I bet they drink them themselves."  
"You're are kidding me, aren't you?"  
"No."   
"Unbelievable. Wait." Sara took a deep breath, pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed a number.   
"What are you doing? Don't call them…"  
Sara had no intention of calling the children's home, that was a waste of time, she called somebody better. +"Hey Marie, how are you? No, I'm fine and so is Sofia. I call because Stephen wants to thank you." She handed her cell phone to the boy, who looked in disbelieve at her and needed a second before he took the phone.  
"Hello Captain, thanks for the coke." He paused. "No…I can't have them…because apparently the rules say so…no…they're the bosses…no Sara can't go there and Sofia can't shoot them, it's too loud for the baby and you don't want your daughter in prison…no…okay." He gave the cell phone back to Sara. "She wants to talk to you."  
"Yes Marie?"  
"Tell me he's joking."  
"No."  
"These little fuckers took away the coke? For no reason?"  
"Rules."  
"Fuck the rules, it's coke, not cocaine or alcohol. It's a city children's home, isn't it?"  
"Yes."  
"Good."  
"Why? What do you plan to do?"  
"They made me angry, I do what I always do when I'm angry. I'll kick their balls up their throats."  
"Marie…"  
"Are you questioning me, Sara?"  
"Of course not, Captain."  
"Good. I've go back to work, you take care of that boy, will you?"  
"Yes, Captain."  
"Good. We talk again soon, give Sofia and the baby a kiss."  
"Will do. Bye and take care of our babysitter."  
"Don't worry, your babysitter takes care of herself. Over and out."   
Sara put her cell phone back in the pocket.   
"And?" Stephen asked.  
"Well…I've no idea what her plan is, but your prison guards won't experience nice things. She's mad and when she's mad, she lets the people, who made her mad, pay for it."  
"What can she do? Come over and tell them to give me the coke?"  
"If she was in L.A., it's exactly what she'd do. And believe me, she has no problem to scare a social worker, she reprinted a multi million dollar casino owner and friend of the mayor for a tiny thing, that pissed her off. And this guy back-up. You just do what she says, she has this authority…like I said, when Sofia and me drove to Vegas together and I had to meet Marie as the new girlfriend of her daughter, I felt like I had to meet the devil."  
"Now you love her as much as she loves you."  
"Yeah, but if I had hurt Sofia, I'd be dead now. Whatever she has in mind for your social worker, they won't like it."  
"And I get the trouble for it. Hopefully it's worth it."  
"Believe me, when she's done with them, they won't give you a hard time because she'll make it clear, if you complain about anything, they're in more trouble."  
"I let you know how it ends."  
"Yeah, keep me in the loop." Sara thought for a moment. "What do you think of a trip to Subway next week? Sofia told me, you really enjoyed the burger, I think she uses you to get another fatty burger."   
"I love their burgers, they're the best in town, probably in the country. Subway is okay, a lot of salad."  
"Healthy."  
"Good for the baby."  
"Good for everybody. Do you want to join us?"  
"Sure. If you want me around."  
"Why not? I like spending time with you, Sofia likes you too, you said she's cool, there are no reasons why we can't eat together. As long as it doesn't get you into trouble."  
"We won't tell the prison guards."  
"Are you allowed to spend time away from the children's home on Sundays? Or do you have to be back for every meal."  
"When you miss a meal, you won't get anything else until the next one is served. Otherwise you're free to be away from eight to six. But they want to know where you are, with whom you're away. And I'm having my prison experience Sunday lock in the whole holidays. At least it's what they said. Why?"  
"It's summer time, we could go to the beach. Have you ever been swimming with dogs?"  
"No."  
"Want to try it? They pull you through the water. it's fun."  
"Maybe not."  
"Why not?"  
"I'm…not the best…in water."  
"You can't swim?"  
His face turned red. He didn't want to say it, but Sara got straight to the point.   
"No. Silly, isn't it?"  
"You don't go swimming in school, they don't let you go to the beach, unless you're willing to spend over two hours one way in the bus, you had no chance to learn it."  
"Not really."  
"Well, we can change that. And when you can swim, you can learn how to surf. Girls love surfer."  
"I don't have a surfboard."   
"I borrow you mine, we can surf together."   
"Seriously?"  
"Sure. As long as you don't get in trouble with your prison guards. We go to the beach quite often, take the dogs, have a picnic there. Now that the twins start to get active, we'll have family days on the beach - extended family days. Everybody we like is welcome. What do you think? Time for some waves?"  
"I'd love to."  
"In that case, we let Marie get her revenge and after that, they won't deny a wish of you without a really good reason." Sara grinned. Whatever Marie had in mind, Sara was sure it was good and Stephen had his coke cans very soon. 

Sofia looked at the dead woman in front of her feet. Another possible domestic case. The second one this week. On Tuesday she worked a case of a woman, who was shot by her husband because he thought, she was cheating on him and was pregnant with somebody else's baby. He was wrong and she was dead.   
Today the woman was stabbed various times and left in the living room to die. Which she did, with all the blood around, from the loss of blood. The coroner arrived a minute ago, Sofia counted at least two dozen stab wounds. Overkill. Whoever killed her had to be very angry.   
"She must have pissed somebody really off." The coroner said.   
"Yeah, this looks very personal to me. Do you need a hand to turn her, Cherry?"  
"Yes, please. Or shall I get a man?"  
"I'm sure I can do it, she isn't heavy, I'm not that pregnant." Together they turned the woman so she lay on her back.   
"Fuck!" Sofia starred at the face. CUNT was written over the forehead. Written with a knife, from how it looked for the blonde.   
"Your detective has the boyfriend in custody?"  
"No, Don is still looking for the boyfriend. According to the neighbor she had one, was arguing with him a lot the last days."  
"Not anymore, he had the closing argument."  
"Yeah…oh well, lets not get ahead of the evidence…even when it looks like he did it, let the evidence talk."  
"You let the evidence talk, I let her tell me what happened. I've got some fiber here, between what's left of her face." Cherry pointed to the mouth. "Tweezers?"  
Sofia handed her the tweezers and a little bag.   
"Looks like cotton or anything like that. If we're lucky she bit her attacker, we have a piece of the clothes and DNA. At the moment I go for sharp forced entry as a COD; as you can guess. Her liver temperate places TOD approximately three to four hours ago."  
"Okay. I start working here and join you later."  
"We'll have some answers for you by then." Cherry waved her helper to transport the body while Sofia started to concentrate on the evidence in the room. It was her crime scene, she had to work it alone. It was a busy day, they had another possible 419, two B&E, a big traffic accident and a missing person. All dayshift CSI had their own case and until one or some of the other cases weren't closed, Sofia had to work alone.   
"The neighbor saw the boyfriend leaving the house this morning, looked like he was in a hurry."  
Okay, maybe she wasn't alone, she had Don with her.   
"What time?"  
"Around eight."  
"Cherry said TOD was three to four hours ago, fits. Did he have blood on him?"  
"Not that the neighbor saw it. He could have cleaned himself, it wasn't like he had to worry about anybody coming in."  
"I check the shower later. This will take some time, you know how busy we are today."  
"Yes, I know. Don't forget to take breaks anyway. Do you have enough food and water?"  
"I do. Healthy stuff. Tons of fruits and vegetables."  
"At the corner of the street is a kiosk, I canvass down the street and when I'm done, I get you a chocolate bar."  
"I love you."  
"Of course you do. Like I love you. There are two officers around in case the boyfriend comes back - or whoever killed her. See you later, LT."  
"Later detective. Take care of the father of my baby."  
"Always."   
Now she was on her own. Time to figure out who killed this poor woman. 

"Time for a break." Don was back at the house.   
"I'm almost done with this room."  
"Sofia, you're here since four hours and I bet you didn't take a break before. Sit down, it's time for you to eat."  
"We're chasing a killer."  
"I'm aware of that. We won't catch him when you miss something because you didn't rest. Come on, we sit down outside for a few minutes, I've your backpack here."  
"Five minutes."   
Don didn't want to argue, but he was sure, he'd make her sit down longer than five minutes. His arm around her waist, he pulled her out of the house, into the sunshine. For a moment they stopped, looked for a place to sit, before he decided, the edge of the trunk was the only place to sit down here. He opened the trunk so they had enough space to sit down.   
"What did you find out?"  
"First you sit, eat a banana and drink some water."   
"Gosh, you're worse than Sara."  
"Thanks." He got his sandwich out.   
"Oh, steak and cheese."   
"Forget it, you're on fruits."  
"Sara? Is that you? Honey, your body transferred itself into a man's body."  
"Yes, it's me, lets practice for our next baby."  
"Sorry, I don't sleep with men anymore, with you as a man, we've to get back to being friends."  
"Seriously? You wouldn't be with Sara anymore if she was a man?" Don asked surprised.  
"That won't happen, why think about it? People don't transfer into another gender over night."  
"Maybe she realizes at one point, she feels more like a man than a woman."  
"As far as I know people realize that a few years earlier. It's unlikely she wants a sex change now."  
"And if she does?"  
"I love her, no matter what."  
"So you would sleep with her."  
"Yes. But you're not her."  
"No, I'm the father of your baby. How is Jamie?"  
"Better if we get steak and cheese."  
"Apple and oranges."  
"Great, thanks." Sofia made a grimace, that changed from disgust into pain.   
"What's wrong?"  
"Bloody toothache. Since the morning it hurts like hell."  
"Why aren't you at the dentist?"  
"Because it's a hell of a day, I need to work the scene, nobody finished their scenes to take over and if I could take my pain killers, things wouldn't be that bad. the problem is, I'm not sure if I can take them, being pregnant."  
"Women." He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.   
"What are you doing?"  
"Making a call you should have made hours ago…hi, here's Don, is Tanya available? Okay, can you ask her to call Sofia back, she's having tooth ache, doesn't know which painkillers she can take now and can't leave her crime scene. Thanks." He looked at Sofia. "Tanya will call you as soon as she has a minute. Her office is open another half an hour, I'm sure she takes you as an emergency patient."  
"Don, I can't leave. We're looking for a killer."  
"Talking about the killer…I assume you don't want the chocolate bar with your pain."  
"Chocolate doesn't make the pain worse, it makes me happy."  
Don smiled and handed her a chocolate bar. "I talked to all neighbors and one told me, the boyfriend isn't from L.A. and spends a lot of time out of town."  
"Does he know where?"  
"Vegas. He has a gambling problem."  
"We need to call LVPD."  
"No, I have to call LVPD. Remember? I'm the cop."  
The look she gave him said more than thousand words. Anger.   
"Hey, you know the procedure. I will call your mother, in case we have to go to Vegas, it's your case, you are with me on it. But you know I can't let you, the CSI, call LVPD. It's not the right way. If we had to contact their CSI lab, it was your call."  
"I hate being a CSI."  
"No, you don't." He pulled her in his arms, against a little protest of her. "You hate not being a cop anymore, but you don't hate being a CSI."  
"In my heart I'm a cop."  
"You'll always be my LT."  
"And yet I can't call LVPD."  
"No, it's my job now. But I let them know you're the leading CSI and if they've any news regarding the BF, that requires a CSI, you'll be the one they call."  
"Not the same."  
"I know." He kissed her hair. "Sorry, you know it's the right way. But nobody will say anything when you call your mother, after all, she's your mother and you talk to her. If she happens to be the captain working your case, well, that's a coincidence."  
"Still not the same, but I know, my best detective works the case."  
"He does. And he keeps you updated. Time to go back to work, I've to go back to the department, tell my boss I need to call Vegas. Call me if you find anything and need a cop to back you up - only to stay on protocol, not because you can't handle the situation not yourself."  
Sofia laughed a little bit. "I'll give you a call because you're the best detective and I like working with you. How is that?"  
"Good." He kissed her cheek. "Good luck and don't forget to feed Jamie frequently. Food and rest are good for the two of you."  
"Steak and cheese are good for us."  
"Not according to your girlfriend, discuss it with her."  
"No, she always wins when it comes to food." The blonde smiled. Sara always had the sensible arguments on her side. 

"Overtime again, are you getting sick and tired of the job? Two more weeks and you're free." Sara said when she and Stephen were on their way into Los Angeles. Their boss asked them around noon if they could stay a little bit longer to show a tourist group around, that got delayed due to traffic jams. Sara, who got a text from Sofia earlier she caught a 419 and had to work longer, had no reasons to rush home and Stephen was always happy to stay longer. The more time he spend in the forest, the less time he had to be in the children's home. And because they had no idea how long exactly they had to stay, Sara offered to drive him back home.   
"I like it here, that's why I want to work here on Saturdays."  
"Our boss is happy to have you here, you can work all Saturdays."  
"All Saturdays you take me with you. I'm sure you won't work every Saturday."  
"Well, I definitely won't work when Sofia is in labor and also not the first two or three days she's back home. Otherwise we work most weekends because it's the time when most people come to the forest."  
"Can you and Sofia take the same days off?"  
"Sometimes. When we have an appointment, we take the same days off, so far our bosses were very helpful. Of course there are a lot of days when only one of us has a day off. Like Monday, when we went for burgers."  
"You didn't have a day off in a long time."  
"Summer time. I will have the weekend of the sixteenth of September off, Sofia will be twelve weeks pregnant by then and it's a party weekend with a barbecue in the garden. You are invited to come too."  
"Me?"  
"Yes."  
"Wow, thanks…but you know, I've to be back by six."  
"Lets see if I can talk your prison guards into giving you a weekend off. You come over on Saturday around noon and are back Sunday for dinner."  
"Do you think your mother-in-law called them?"  
"No. But the Captain might have called them. My mother-in-law is a nice person, the Captain can get nasty. For issues like this, she uses the Captain personality, the private one is reserved for family."  
"In that case they won't let me go away for a night."  
"Or won't dare to upset the Captain again; which is more likely."   
"How does she do it? Scare people, influence them, make them do what she wants."  
"Her attitude, her rank, the people she knows. The reputation."  
"I really thought she wanted to give you a hard time."  
"She loves playing this game." Sara stopped her car in front of the children's home. "Lets find out what happened, what they say about the September weekend and about a day on the beach. We won't tell them about our Subway plans for next week, will we? We just call and say, we need to work longer."  
"Lying is against the rules."  
"At home it would, but people there can handle the truth and are fair. Your prison guards aren't."  
"True." He got out of the car, looked at the building and sighed. Most people were happy when they came home after work. To him this didn't feel like home and he wasn't happy.   
Together they walked to the door and before they rang the bell, a man stepped outside. Immediately Stephen backed up a little bit, like he looked for shelter behind Sara.   
"Mister Sunday."  
"Stephen, how are you?"  
"I'm fine Sir, thanks."  
The man turned to Sara. "I'm Mister Sunday, the director of the house."  
"Sara Sidle, Stephen's colleague."  
"Was he a good worker?"  
"Yes, he's a very good worker, we're all happy he's with us and that he'll help us after the holidays on Saturdays."  
"I'm glad to hear that, maybe you have changed, Stephen. Stay out of trouble."  
"Yes Sir."  
"Good. There is something that belongs to you in the office, you might want to get that."   
Sara hid her smile. Whatever Marie did, it worked out.   
"Yes Sir."   
"Go, I talk to Mrs. Sidle until you're back."  
Stephen vanished into the house.   
"He's really a great help and a good boy."  
"I'm glad he has changed, here he makes some trouble and as you know, he also had some issue with the police, that's what brought him to your place."  
"I can assure you, he doesn't cause any trouble at work."  
"Do you know a Captain Curtis? Is she somehow involved in the National Forest?"  
"She's my mother-in-law."  
"Oh. How does she know Stephen?"  
"They met in the forest, he impressed her and the Captain isn't easy to impress."  
"You call her Captain?"  
"If I don't want any trouble, I call her by her rank, yes. She doesn't like it when people forget who she is, don't mention her rank, don't pay the respect, she wants to have."  
"We found that out…an…energetic woman."  
Energetic woman? She had to tell Marie about this description. "Yes. How do you know her? She lives in Las Vegas."  
"A friend of her was here today, mentioned her name."  
"She has got friends everywhere, sometimes it's scary." At least for people, who displeased her. "Which reminds me, I'll have a party for friends on the fifteenth of September and would like Stephen, as a colleague, to be there. He'll meet the Captain too, she'd be pleased to meet him again. And I think she has a very good influence on him, everybody understands what discipline means when she's around. Is it possible for Stephen to stay over? There will be cops, so he will be in good hands. Or are there any rules, that forbid these things?"  
"If we know where he is and know the person he is with, we can allow this. We know you, we know the Captain, there are no reason to forbid it. As long as he's back on time in Sunday."  
"We'll make sure he'll be here at six."  
"Eight is also fine."  
"Even better, then he can have dinner with us, the Captain hates it when people leave before dinner. Is he allowed to spend his Sundays away?"  
"Like I said, we need to know where he is, with whom. Otherwise the chances he and the other kids get into trouble are too big. We're responsible for them. Why?"  
"My partner and me thought about taking him with us to the ocean if that's okay." And the Sunday in house rule was gone, which it seemed it was.   
"Sure. Do you spend with all your colleague so much time?"  
"With some, yes."  
Stephen came back, three packages of coke in his arms, a smile on his face.   
"Wow, did you rob a supermarket?" Sara asked amused, pretending she had no idea what was going on.   
"No, the Captain sent them to me and I can keep them. Cool, isn't it?"  
"You must really impressed her."   
"Looks like. Can you take them with you? I'd like to keep them in the forest, at least two packages of them. Perfect for lunch break, one each day. And the other one I can share with some of the boys."  
"Sure, put them in the trunk, I take them with me tomorrow morning."  
"Thank you."   
"You're welcome." Sara checked her watch. "I'm sorry, I've to go. We let you know in advance when we plan to go to the beach and plan with Stephen for the party. Nice to meet you, Mister Sunday. Stephen, I see you tomorrow morning."  
"Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Sidle."  
"See you tomorrow Sara. And thanks for taking me home."  
"You're welcome." She smiled. Now, this went on quite good. Whatever Marie did, they allowed Stephen to stay over at their place and come with them to the beach. She had to call Marie and asked, what she did. And hoped whatever she did also meant, Stephen would get treated better. 

When Sofia came home at seven, Sara was waiting for her. Twelve hours, a long time for being at work.   
"Hey, sorry I'm late." The blonde sat on the lap of the brunette and let her head drop on the other woman's shoulder.   
"Hard case?"  
"419, there were so many cases today, I had to work the scene alone. You don't want details, not a nice case. Well, murder is never nice. I might work with my mother on this case."  
"How's that?"  
"The possible killer is likely to be in Vegas, Don called her and asked for cooperation between LAPD and LVPD."  
"Must be her L.A. day today. Will she cooperate?"  
"Of course, how could she refuses a request from her adopted son? And what do you mean with L.A. day?"  
"I called her this morning, telling her the children's home had taken away the present, she sent Stephen. Three dozen cans of coke. They told him, he can't keep them, some stupid and not exciting house rules. We let her know and when I took Stephen back today, he could have all the cans. Whom does your mother know here?"  
"I've no idea, cops? She made them give him the cans? Cool. My mom kicks asses."  
"Looks like. And when the director of the children's home asked me, if I know her, I mentioned she's my mother-in-law, it was no problem to get Stephen away from there for the beach and to our baby party. Especially because the Captain will be here too and would like to see him here. With cops around it's guaranteed he won't come in contact with bad influence and she'd be pissed off if he can't come."  
Sofia laughed. "I bet he hated that; the director."  
"Oh yes, he wanted to say no, wanted to tell me, Stephen can't do these things, but he didn't dare to. Captain Curtis made him forget the rules - or respect the rules, as the boys are allowed to stay outside during the day."  
"My mother is very special."  
"Like her daughter. A very special woman, I very much love." Sara kissed her lover softly. "Please tell me you made enough breaks, ate and drank enough."  
"I did. Don got me chocolate, I ate all my fruits, I sat down, had two officers with me to make sure I'm fine. Jamie and me were and are fine. Only tired."  
"Want to go to bed?"  
"No, I need a walk first, to get all the tensions out of my body."  
Sara smirked. "I know another way to make you relax."  
The blonde grinned. "I guess I know what you mean. Why don't we do that after the walk? The dogs have to get out anyway and they're my dogs, but somehow it seems like everybody else takes more care of them than I do."  
"Beside the dog sitter nobody spends as much time with Scooby and Rantanplan as you do."  
"You. You're home before I am and you always take care of them."  
"They're our babies, I don't count."  
"You're my number one, you count double for me." Sofia kissed Sara's cheek. "I'm glad I have you."  
"Ditto. Who would have thought the annoying and smug detective, who became a lieutenant to boost her ego even more, can be such a wonderful woman? Two years after I came to L.A., a lot of things have changed."  
"Yeah, you turned into a lovable woman, aren't a bitch all the times." The blonde shot back dryly.   
"Isn't it nice we both developed ourselves to better?"  
"To best."  
"The best can always get better." Sara stroke over Sofia's belly. "Come on, time for a walk, we grab a little snack on the way and go to bed. Even when you didn't tell me much about the case, it sounds like it will keep you busy too."  
"Probably."   
"Means, you need to rest. In my arms."  
"There's no place o earth I can rest better than in your arms. But first I've to see Tanya tomorrow morning."  
"On a Saturday?"  
"Yes. Don called her to ask which pain killers I can take - I really had no time to see her today, don't give me this look - and she called back and said, I should come into the office at eight. They have two other clients coming in at half past eight, who had an operation today and need to be checked tomorrow. Usually her boss does these appointments alone, she comes in for me."  
"Did she tell you what you can take?"  
"Yes, but it's much better for Jamie when I don't take any medicine. You make me go to the dentist on a Saturday, baby. Are you listening? We go to the dentist…she's a nice one, but nevertheless, the dentist. Do you think Jamie feels the same pain I feel?"  
"I don't hope so. Too much chocolate."  
"No! Not enough chocolate. Since three months I barely eat any chocolate and candy, my teeth are missing their normal amount of sugar. Or…"  
"Or what?"  
The blonde grinned. "Or we need to sleep more often together. Sex is healthy. A healthy body has healthy teeth. Got plans for the time in bed?"  
"Sleep?"  
"Denied."  
"What is you plan?"  
"Why don't you do to me what you did when I lost conscious for a second or two?" She pulled her lover in her arms. "Now that I know what will happen, I will enjoy it a lot, it won't shock me. And I think, it was way too special end up like it did the last time. Lets try it again, give it a better end and maybe I can do the same to you."  
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea…"  
"Hey, didn't we both learn in therapy we have to face our fears? If you fear you scare me again, face the fear and let us prove together, it's not true."  
"And when it's true?"  
"Sara, do you trust me?"  
"Of course I do, you know that."  
"Then trust me on this one too. But leave my hands free so I can have them all over you."  
"It's not the same when you have your hands free."  
"It's killing me when I can't touch you and can't stop you teasing me." The blonde kissed the throat of her lover.   
"Part of the foreplay."  
"You mean, part of your evil plan to torture me into endless pleasure."  
"Yes."   
"Well, lets get everything else out of our way so we can walk the path of endless pleasure together. I love to be on this journey with you, experience it with you. And after we're back from an indescribable great orgasm, we fall asleep arm in arm, ready to place kisses on each other for the short moments, we wake up every night. I realized, you do that. You wake up, without noticing it, kiss me, sigh happily and go back to sleep."  
"You do the same."  
"Of course, I love you just as much as you love me. That's why we're meant to be together."  
"That's why I'll ask you to marry me as soon as we have the chance. And if the Californian government can't get over themselves and allow us to get married, I'll invite for a vacation into a state, we can get married and marry you there." Sara kissed Sofia softly. "I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."  
"Just what I want too." Sofia snuggled into the arms of her lover. Yes, one day they would get married. One day, she'd have the wedding band of her big love on her finger. 

18th of August Saturday

"How are your teeth?" Don asked when he called Sofia in the lab.   
"Better…I think. Don't know, I'm on medication but Tanya worked in them, her torture instruments made really nasty sounds and three quarter of an hour later, I was allowed to leave, with painkiller and a numb cheek. She wants to see me again on Monday."  
"Sounds like you had fun together."  
"I'm sure she had, I didn't. I had the pain. Do you have any news of the missing boyfriend of my vic?"  
"No, LVPD is informed, they call me when they see him. The neighbors didn't call, I assume he didn't come back to the crime scene, nor did they report any other suspicious activity at your vic's place."  
"Are they reliable?"  
"A former security man from a bank and a woman, who sits the whole day at her kitchen window and watches the street. I had this kind of woman as a neighbor when I lived in New York. She knew when I left home, came home, who was with me, when I was shopping, everything. Like you lived in front of a camera."  
"Big sister was watching you."  
"Yes. So I think we can be sure nobody came back last night. The officer, who checked the seals this morning also didn't report anything special. My money is on Vegas."  
"Sounds like. There was no money in the house, if it was the boyfriend, he took it and uses it on the tables."  
"Anything new from the lab?"  
"No, the only fingerprints we found were hers and his, there was blood in the shower, the killer cleaned himself up. DNA from the bedroom has to be confirmed his." They had the DNA of the boyfriend, Ronald Bergstrom, he had a rap sheet and was convicted for assault, DYU and destroying public property. A longer list, started when he was old enough to have his own rap sheet and she bet, there was also a juvenile file. What did Helen Constanz see in this man, that made her live with him? He didn't have a proper job, switched from one low payment job into another, while she worked at a supermarket and was, so told Don her, who talked to the supervisor, on her best way to become assistant manager. Why did she waste her life with a loser? Let him kill her.   
"None of her friends and family told me about another man in her life, for the past year, it had always been Bergstrom."  
"What did her family say about him?"  
"They hated him, he never treated her good and nobody understood, why she stayed with him."  
"Maybe she wanted to leave but he made it clear, if she does, it's the last thing she does. Not the first time that a boyfriends forces his girlfriend to stay with him. And most women don't search for help when their partner is abusive. Cherry said, there are some older injuries, bruises, a dislocated shoulder, could be a case of domestic violence"  
"I checked that, she never called the police and the neighbors didn't mention it. Then again, they lived in her house, when they kept it quiet, the neighbors couldn't hear it. Some men get very aggressive without yelling or shouting."  
"The quiet ones are worse than the yeller. They use a lot of energy for yelling, the quiet ones use all their anger and energy to hurt the partner." Sofia said. She had seen enough cases, had seen the difference between a husband, who got angry, yelled and slapped his wife and a husband, who stayed quiet and his anger turned into fury. Most times the partners of the latter ones, ended up right in the morgue or in intensive care.   
"What about the defensive wounds?"  
"The traces from under her nails are in DNA, we should get the results within the next hours."  
"All right, I must go back to my new crime scene. As soon as LVPD calls, I let you know."  
"Thanks. Take care of my cop."  
"Take care of my CSI and our baby."  
"Will do." Sofia turned to her evidence. The clothes, Helen Constanz wore, were torn from the knife, that was also used on her face. According to the medical examiner the same knife was used on her. Just one knife. She had a cast of one of the wounds and tried to figure out, if one of the knives, she found in the house, was the murder weapon. If not, she had to go back to the crime scene, look for it and also have a look around the neighborhood. But when Bergstrom killed her and took the knife with him, he left by car and could have thrown away anywhere between the crime scene and wherever he was now.   
***  
Having the Saturday off during summer holidays was seldom and Sara enjoyed the fact she could go back to bed after her lover left for work. First she planed to take the dogs out for a long walk, but they went back to bed after they greeted both women and didn't get anything of their breakfast. So it was a little bit after nine when she took them for a long walk in Griffith Park and it was noon when they came back.   
After a short shower she left Scooby and Rantanplan in the garden and went shopping. Not the best idea on a Saturday, but they needed a lot of things and she was more patient on her day off than after work, stuck in queue. Ready to spend a little fortune in the supermarket so they didn't have to go back for two or three weeks, she filled her cart. Just the beverages filled it and she knew, she had to go twice. Next time she would order their groceries online.   
Another hour later she was back home, put her groceries away and sat down in front of the garage when she closed the car door. Done. Lunch time. Her stomach told her for a while it was time to grab a bite, she couldn't make up her mind what she wanted, otherwise she had bought anything ready to eat in the supermarket. Probably it was easier when you ate meat, you grab a burger on your way home or a chicken. For a vegetarian the choices were limited; especially when you didn't want anything deep fried. Why did people deep fry everything?   
When she was ready to get up her eyes fell on a woman, who carried a box with pizza.   
"Oh pizza, I could go for a pizza now." She sighed. A fresh pizza, that was a great idea. She should order one.   
"If you have a beer or two I share my pizza." The woman said with a smile.  
"What kind of pizza?"   
"Spinach, mozzarella, garlic."  
"Deal." The perfect pizza, exactly what she had ordered too. Or a veggie delite. Or a mushroom, onions, garlic. Or…it was good she didn't have to make a decision anymore, there was a pizza right in front of her. "I get you two beer if I get half of your pizza." A large pizza, enough for both of them.   
"Sounds good to me."  
"Sara." She offered the woman her hand.   
"Kim. Nice to meet you."  
"Nice to meet you and your pizza too. Come in, we can eat in the garden. Are you afraid of dogs?"  
"No."  
"Good, there will be two, as soon as you come in, they want to share the pizza too."  
"Dogs always want to share your food, but never share their food."  
"True." Sara opened the door and let the woman in. "Scooby, Rantanplan, sit down, this is not your food. Go away! Just ignore them, go straight through the open glass door, I get the beer. Scooby! With me." She grabbed the collar of the brown dog and pulled him with her before he could try to jump up and get the pizza. Why did their dogs behave like they never got anything to eat? They had breakfast, they had treats, they were far away from starving.   
"Nice place." Kim said when Sara came out with a bottle of beer and a can of Sprite. "No beer for you?"  
"Thanks. No, I might need to drive later." She gave Scooby and Rantanplan a firm look and sent them away from the table. "This is a great coincidence, I was hungry, couldn't make up my mind and you took away the decision from me. Spinach pizza, just perfect."  
"That was what I thought when I was at the pizza shop. And with spinach and garlic it's kind of healthy…well, you can make yourself believe it's healthy."  
"Spinach is healthy." Sara bit in her pizza slice.   
"True. So is beer…at least some of the ingredients."   
"Can't say this about my Sprite. Where are you from? I can hear an accent."  
"Netherlands."  
"Do you live in Silver Lake now or are you on vacation?"  
"A two weeks vacation. I treat myself every two months with a two weeks trip, most times to L.A. because I've everything I need and want here. It's warm, there's a beach, I've time to work on my books and it's a very inspiring place."  
"You also have a lot of interesting people around. One walk over the Hollywood Boulevard and I think you saw most kinds of people."  
"Most times I've been there to change busses, there are tourists, people trying to talk tourists in a star tour, panhandler and annoyed people on their way to work and back. But I've never been there in the evening or at night. Have been there when they show a premier in the new Kodak Theater? Or the old one."  
"No, I'm not interested in the star world. I also never saw when they celebrate a new star on the walk of fame."  
"I found a page in the internet, where you can see, who gets a star next. If I'm here and somebody I like gets a star, I will go and watch it, otherwise I can see no point in being around and whoever gets the star, doesn't ring a bell for me."  
"It's a star, you can take star photos for the family at home."  
"They will be only impressed when they know the star. And after I've been here a few times, they don't ask all the time, if I've seen a star. Most people assume, you go to Los Angeles and see stars the whole day. I bet when they're not surrounded by bodyguards, don't wear make-up, you don't realize, it's a TV or movie star, who walks in front of you."  
"There are a few in Silver Lake."  
"I know, never saw one. Or didn't recognize him/her. Doesn't matter, they're not more special than all of us, are they?"  
"I guess not. You with your pizza made me happier than a movie star walking past."  
"Same for you and your beer. First I wanted to buy some beer, than I thought, no, I don't need beer and while I walked back to my room, the wish for a beer got bigger and bigger."  
"Made us both happy. Is there a motel or anything around? Or where is your room?"  
"In a private house, they rent two rooms out. Cheaper and more luxury than a hostel. At least when you not go for a ten share room in a crappy hostel with bed bugs and mold everywhere."  
"Roomsforyou.com?"  
"Yes. You know it?"  
"We have a room there ourselves, just put it last month and within a few days it we had people coming over. A nice idea, for both sides. The house owner makes some extra money, the traveler has a cheaper way to stay in a single or double room."  
"Yes. And you're not completely alone like in a hotel, have a kitchen to cook for yourself. I like this kind of vacation. So what do you offer? What kind of room?"  
"A small one, two by four, queen size bed, sideboard, desk, shelf. Kitchen use, bathroom is next to the room, shared, but most times other people only use it, when they're downstairs, all other rooms have their own bathroom. You can use the garden, the gym equipment and two great dogs will join you when you want for walks or in the garden. Oh, and we have garden parties, but not loud ones and not the whole night."  
"Sounds interesting, I might check your place out for my next trip. The garden is great."  
"Can't show you the room, somebody is in there. But we have pictures in the internet. Uhm, I think they called it 'shared house experience with big garden and two dogs' or something like that."  
"I'll have a look, maybe I book it for my next trip around Halloween, when it's available."   
"As far as I know it is. Do you have a smart phone?"  
"No, so far I survived without a smart phone, most times I leave my cell phone at home, I don't want to be available for everybody all the time."  
"Good decision. Give me a second, I get my laptop - and a new beer for you." Sara got up and came a minute later back with her laptop and a new beer. "Okay, lets have a look. Sofia saved me our room and the web page so I can check on the room too. Here we go, the room." She gave the laptop to Kim.   
"Small and comfy. What about wlan?"  
"Is included, also breakfast. We've a special shelf in the fridge for the house guest. Or guests. Because is this a shared house anyway, we're five people, herbs and oil is free to use for everybody. Maybe we get a mini fridge for the room too. We had guests here, who needed to leave medicine in the fridge, which was no problem, but personal, I'd prefer to have my own fridge for medicine."  
"Yes, an own fridge is great. I've one now and this way I can have breakfast in bed without leaving the room. Very nice."  
"Sounds like it. So you're having a lunch break from writing? Or is it an energy boost before you go to the beach?"  
"No beach today, I walked around Runyon Canyon this morning and thought after a shower, I need some food and have a walk later around the reservoir before it's time to write. Might be boring for many people, but I like having all the time for myself, doing exactly what I want and when I want it. Totally freedom, I don't have at home or at work."  
"I think holidays are there to offer you the possibility to do only what you want. We have to stick to the rules at work all the time, holidays are without rules. Well, the basic rules stay, but no rules for what you do, where and when. What are you working?"  
"I'm a nurse, do a lot of double shifts, extra weekend shifts and that gives me a lot of overtime, which I can use for vacations. My month is supposed to have 160 work hours, Most times it has 200 to 220. Half of it is overtime, the other half is extra money. That's why I can spend every two months two weeks away."  
A lot of work, a lot of responsibilities and a nice way of handling the overtime." Sara had same hours and more when she worked as a CSI and she knew what happened, when you didn't take care of yourself, didn't have the chance to get away from work. It drove her to South America and the only good thing about all the work was, she had enough money for her projects. 

When her cell phone rang, Sofia answered it without looking at the ID. "Curtis."  
"We've got your suspect here, in the Lucky Hand."  
"Mom?" Now her attention was on the cell phone and not on the evidence in front of her anymore. Her mother called from Vegas and had her suspect?  
"Who else? Your suspect checked in the Lucky Hand last night, according to casino security he is playing right now. A unit on the way to arrest him."  
"Oh found him? You're the best."  
"Tell me something I don't know."  
Sofia laughed. Yes, her mother. Sara would say, like mother like daughter, both smug, but the truth was, they were both great.   
"Did you tell Don?"  
"Told the detective, he is on his way to organize a flight for him to Vegas."  
"Only for himself? It's my case too."  
"He wants to get him back to L.A. so you can work the case. If there are any problems with the transport, you can come over or, you know, we have some good CSI here too. Not as good as you, but they can do the work."  
"Mom, it's my case." She didn't want her former colleagues in Vegas close the case, it was her case, she had to close it. In Los Angeles and if there was no other way, she'd come over to Vegas an work there.   
"Honey, we get him to L.A., but Don has to come here, organize everything. You're not left out."  
"You better don't leave me out, I want the case and I want to talk to the boyfriend. DNA confirmed, it was his blood under her fingernails. The whole house has only his and her DNA, in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom. No sign of anybody else. Who will be in interrogation with Don?"  
"I can't tell you yet."  
"Tell them, we're looking for the murder weapon, a knife. I can send them photos of the cast, check his car, the hotel room…well, you know how to do your job."  
"Thanks for the trust. Did you call the Feds? Are they involved in it? He crossed the state border."  
"No, we keep this a LAPD - LVPD case. That's what your former colleague Willows said."  
"You talked to Cath?"  
"Sam Braun's daughter, yes. She works in Vegas for the FBI, I gave her a call because she's like her father. He never liked to waste money and time, neither does she. As long as your police department and my department has everything under control, the Feds stay out and save some tax payer money."  
"How well did you know Sam Braun?"  
"We met a few times, it was always a challenge to work his cases. He surely was guilty a few times, wasn't an angel, but it was impossible to prove anything. Damn slippery man, damn good lawyers and always a back door."  
"You never arrested him? Mom, I'm shocked."  
"I arrested him a few times, the problem was, he was out within hours. Some people you can't grab. Anyway, we get your suspect in custody and I let you know when we have anything new. Or Don will."  
"He didn't call me and told me, you have eyes on Bergstrom."  
"Because I told him I call you, this way I can talk to you, ask how you are you. How are you and Jamie?"  
"We're fine and we want to work the case. Jamie is eager to put a killer behind bars."  
"Our good law enforcement DNA, this will be an amazing child. I talk to you later, don't forget to go home on time."  
"First I call the Vegas crime lab to figure out, who works the case and send them the information they need to get Bergstrom over."  
"Whatever you do, take your breaks. Say hello to Sara and give her a kiss."  
"I make that two or three. Take care of yourself, Captain."  
"Always. Later CSI Curtis."  
"Later, Captain Curtis." Sara ended the call. Her mother informed her about her case while Don prepared everything for his trip to Vegas. Without her. Of course Las Vegas had good CSI and the best lab in the country, but…it was her case. She dialed a number from Vegas, of an old colleague.   
"Stokes."  
"CSI Stokes, here's CSI Curtis, LAPD."  
"Sofia, how are you?"  
"Busy with a case and my suspect is in your city. Are you still working?"  
"Yeah, a double."  
"Bugger, I wanted you as the CSI for the case."  
"Sorry, can't do that, you need to call dayshift. Since when are you a CSI again?"  
"Almost a year, can't work as a lieutenant anymore, long, not nice story."  
"We need to catch up."  
"Sara and me plan to come to Vegas in October, we can meet for dinner."  
"You're still happy together?"  
"More than happy, there are a lot of things we need to tell you, Nicky. Won't interrupt you any longer from your case, I call you to give you the dates we'll be in Vegas. Did dayshift lose as many people the last years as nightshift did?"  
"Yes, they did. Busy job, a lot of pressure. Say hello to Sara."  
"I will. Say hello to the guys in the lab. Bye." All right, she had to call dayshift, her old colleagues. She wondered who still worked there, she didn't have any contact with somebody from her old shift. The best thing was to call the front desk and asked Julie - was her name Julie? - to connect her with whoever. 

"You worked overtime again." Sara simply said when Sofia came home and she pulled her in her arms.   
"Had no other choice and you're lucky I came home at all."  
"Why? What did happened?" Slightly scared the brunette pushed her lover a little bit away to look into her eyes. Did anything happen to Sofia? Had she been at risk? Was injured? Got almost injured?   
"My 419 suspect is in Vegas, Don flew over this afternoon."  
"You wanted to join him."  
"Yes, it's my case. He tries to get the suspect over, I cooperated with my old colleagues from dayshift, they will take over as long as he's in Vegas. My mom called me to give me the heads up."  
"She works the case? The man has no chance, the Captain will nail his ass."  
"Hopefully. She even talked to Cath, asking if the FBI wants to come in, after he crossed state borders."  
"Wow, full Vegas blow."  
"To complete it, I called Nick and asked him to work the case, but he was busy. I told him, we'll be in Vegas in October and have dinner with him."  
"Sounds like a good idea. He's the only one of our old team, who is still there. Will you call Brass too?"  
"Of course. Do you want the lab rats too? Dinner with Hodges?"  
"I think I can survive without Hodges, but would ask Grissom, Super Dave and Doc Robbins to join us. And Heather."  
"She belongs to Grissom - or the other way around, I'm sure who is the…who makes the decisions."   
"Honey, she's a therapist now, you forgot? Like Jules."  
"Jules is better, she's the best. She helped you, made you smile again, she's above everybody. At least for me."   
"For me too." Sara kissed her girlfriend. "While you were busy working, I did the grocery shopping for the next two weeks and probably earned us one thousand four hundred dollar. All with two beer."  
"How did you do that? Can you do that a couple of more times? Could solve our money problems Or my money problems."  
"I gave away the room for Halloween with the possibility for Christmas and New Year."  
"Oh, somebody wrote us and asked for the room? What has beer to do with it? We don't drink alcohol anymore, we're pregnant."  
"I didn't drink beer." Sara told Sofia about how she met Kim, their beer and pizza deal and that the young Dutch woman was interested in their room after Sara showed her around the house.   
"So you flirted with another woman over pizza and beer?"  
"No, I made some money, had a conversation and when she likes it here, she comes five to six times a year to L.A., stays two weeks, you do the math."  
"Over four thousand dollar. And knowing how picky you're with people, she must be nice, otherwise you hadn't offered her the room."  
"To make the deal better for both parties, we decided we organize everything without the web page, saves us all money. We made a contract for Halloween, she pays via paypal tonight and we can mark the room as not available for that time."  
"My girlfriend makes over thousand dollar on her day off, I'm impressed. Regular guests, when they're nice, a perfect way to make money…when we offer the bathroom as their own bathroom, do you think we can increase the prize? Make more money?"  
"I'm sure that's possible. Add another twenty dollar per night to it."  
"Oh, I can see a happy dance reason for my accountant and a vacation for us. Renting this room was a great idea of Tanya."  
"Did she make some money with her room?"  
"Yes, it's fully booked until the middle of September, after that there are some days for herself in the apartment. And for November she will have a nice trip with the money, Caribbean island."  
"With Don?"  
"I hope so, you can't go to a dream beach without your lover. Means our daddy has to save money for the trip - and the baby. Not that he has to pay anything, but I bet he wants to buy Jamie various things. He can just not buy these crappy Yankee sport shirt and use the money for Tanya. Jamie wears Lakers."  
"You will argue with him about it when Jamie is born and I'm sure, he'll have money for the jerseys anyway."  
"Waste of money. I'm proud you made so much money on your day off. Even when you spent your afternoon with another woman."  
"One? Three. After Kim left I went over to Jules, spent time with her, Jorja and Eric until some of her doctor friends came over."  
Sofia laughed. "You still hate them."  
"Not hate, just don't feel like spending my day off with them. Strange women."  
"So you decided to come home and wait for your girlfriend? Very good decision. Do you have plans with me for tonight?"  
"Yes, I want to take you and the dogs for a walk, have a barbecue and go to bed early. Not necessarily to sleep."  
"A video night in bed? Great idea! I get popcorn."  
"Video night?" Sara made a grimace. "I'm sure you can come up with a better idea by then. First the dogs, the barbecue and then bed. Video night…" The brunette shook her head. Why would they have a video night in bed? If she wanted to watch a video with Sofia, she could watch it in the living room, not in bed. There were better things to do in bed. And she would show them to her lover. Video lover. 

8th of September Saturday

The doorbell rang and the dogs were right at the door, barking.   
"Shut up, guys!" Sofia ordered. "Sally and Tony are asleep, they don't need you to wake them up at seven in the morning." She sent her dogs into the living room and opened the front door. A slightly tired looking Stephen was there. "Good morning, how are you?"  
"Good morning, I'm fine thanks. How are you and the baby?"  
"Both very good, the morning sickness is almost gone and I can enjoy a breakfast again. Guys!" Sofia reprinted the dogs, who were all over Stephen. "Give him a break."  
"No, that's fine. I like them." He petted both dogs. "They seem to be very active this morning."  
"They know we'll spend the day on the beach, that excites them. Why don't you get your bag in the car, Sara will be here soon, she's out to get the fresh bread."  
"Okay. Can I help you with anything?"  
"You can help me with the stuff, it has to get into the cars. Mine and Don's. First everything in his car, when we can't fit everything inside, all none food products in mine. My trunk is reserved for the dogs, so you can only use the backseat. Don't forget to leave enough space for yourself."  
"Are the cars open?"  
"They are. Scooby, Rantanplan, will you sit down? I get the Captain to send you to police school!"   
Stephen laughed. It seems like Sofia's mother was used to threaten everybody, even the dogs. What did she do to them?   
"Did your prison guards say something? About you being the day away?"  
"No. Since your mother ordered them to give me the coke back, they're nicer. What did she do?"  
"She didn't tell Sara or me. Whatever it was, it worked and I'm glad they're nicer now. Can you take this bag? It's filled with the dog's stuff, they need almost more than we do."  
"A lot of toys?"  
"Toys, bowls, some treats, towel, everything. Scooby, if your nose isn't out of the bag within a second I give you a shower tonight with shampoo. Get out!" Scooby looked at her and walked out of the room only to come back a few second later, a tennis ball in his snout.   
"You're a pain in the ass." Sofia got on her knees and cuddled her dog. This was a reason why she hadn't taken them to a longer vacation. By the time she had the dogs in her car, had everything else in the car, the first day was over.   
"He's excited, get used to it, your child won't be different when you take off to the beach or on vacation."  
"Not with the head in the food bag, looking for the snacks…or well…if the snacks are candy, it might do it. I did it, got me into trouble."  
"You were in trouble all the times, as you were a horrible child and an even worse teenager." Sara came into the kitchen. "Hey Stephen." She hugged him. "How are you? Did they take you here?"  
"No, I took the bus."  
"Oh, if I had known that, I picked you up. It's a walk from the bus stop to here."  
"Not that bad, I took the stairs, a good workout. And a great view on the reservoir and the Hollywood sign."  
"Oh, these stairs, yes they're nice. Have you been to the Hollywood sign?"  
"I thought you're not allowed to go there."  
"Well." Sara threw an amused look at her lover, remembering what Sofia once told her about her and Ellen and the sex at the Hollywood Sign.. "It depends. You can't touch the letters, there are a lot of cameras, but you can climb up the mountain, the road takes you above them."  
"Cool. And then you ignore the law and touch them. Until the police is around, you're long gone."  
"Not a god idea, there are a lot of cameras, motion detector, so whenever there's a movement in the area, LAPD is informed, and I bet somebody I always in the little facility building - that belongs to LAPD, isn't that right, Sofia?"   
"Yes." The blonde smirked. "We take you there, it's a nice walk. Can you get the last basket into Don's car, Stephen."  
"Sure. Where is he?"  
"Probably not ready. Want to tell him to hurry?"  
"He's a cop."  
"So? Right now he's off duty."  
"I rather take the basket into the car." He took the basket and left the kitchen.   
"You. Don't mention the letters to anybody! Sofia poked her finger into Sara's chest. "This is something we keep between us!"  
"Between us? I wasn't involved. How did you managed not to get caught? Did you ask your colleague to clear the path for you?"  
"I won't comment on that."  
"I mean, all right, they let you onto the area, let you have your fun in…which letter was it again? But I bet they have you on video doing, whatever you did. Are these videos on youtube? What a great way to get famous."  
Sofia's eyes got narrow. "Let it go. I won't comment on that. It won't happen again."  
"What a pity, I bet it was exciting, I could go for this experience to.." The brunette chuckled, pulled her lover in her arms and kissed her. Sofia's little adventure at the Hollywood Sign should make her jealous, but it amused her. Her girlfriend was…she was her lover. 

"Let them run! Or they'll pull you into the water!" Sofia called out for Stephen, who tried to hold Rantanplan and Scooby on their leashes. They were on the parking lot of the beach, there was no point in risking a dislocated shoulder by holding them back. Both dogs saw and smelt the water and wanted in. Stephen let them lose and within seconds the dogs were in the water, barking, playing, ignoring their leashes.   
"Now you've your hands free for something else, don't worry about them, they don't run away and it's an off-leash beach, they can run here as much as they want."  
"I take the tent." He got the tent out of the car and followed Sara, who had a backpack and Eric on her arms, on the beach. It was nine in the morning, the beach was empty besides a few people, who took their dogs for a walk and a handful of people, who made themselves comfortable. The forecast promised around a hundred degrees for today, hot for early September on the beach.   
"Perfect place, close to the water, direct line to the toilets and the kiosk." Jules said, Jorja on one arm, a big towel on the other. She managed to get the towel on the ground put her daughter on it. "Stay on the towel, don't eat sand and don't crawl away."  
"Why do you bother to tell her all these things? She'll do them anyway as soon as she gets the chance." Tanya laughed.   
"As her godmother it's your job to make sure she doesn't do them."  
"Sorry, not my contract. Do you need a hand with the tent, Stephen?"  
"Yes, please." They built up the beach tent, put a few blankets in it and placed the twins there. Soon the sun was too hot for them to at the beach without protection. Sun lotion wasn't enough for all the hours, they planned to stay here.   
"Sunshade number one and two. Shall I put them in front of the tent?" Don asked.   
"Yeah, this way the whole tent is in the shade and our babies can stay."  
"My baby boy will get into the water with me." Sara said. "It's time for your first surf lesson, Eric."  
"I'd really appreciate if you could teach him first how to swim. Preferential in a shallow pool after he learnt to walk."  
"Don't listen to your daddy, he's only scared, he has no idea how talented you are." Sara said to her godson, who sat on the blanket and watched the adults around him preparing the spot for them.   
"Toys for babies, toys for us, for babies, babies, us, babies, us." Sofia put the toys for the twins next to them. "See, you don't have to get bored, half of your room is here."  
"When we put the boxes with food and drink in the middle of the tent, we have a little cage for the twins, so they can't escape." Tanya built a little wall with the boxes. "Sorry dears, you crawl a lot and we don't want to risk you taking off to the water or on the beach. Cuties like you will everybody steal."  
"We use the swimmies, that will make you tired." Sara took off Eric's sandals. "You wear your swim shirt and shorts already, lets take off your diaper and then we see how you like the water. There aren't many waves at the moment, the best time to get into the water. And your hat." She prepared the boy for the water, took of her own clothes, already wearing her bikini. "Say bye-bye to your mom, time for the ocean."  
"I don't need to tell you to be careful, do I?" Jules asked.   
"No, you don't. Stephen, will you join us?"  
"Uhm, sure." He followed her to the water.   
"When was the last time you were on a beach?"  
"I can't remember."   
"Well, stay in the shallow water, we'll do the same." Sara sat down, a critical looking Eric on her arms. "See, this is the ocean, in a few years you'll be here very often, on a surfboard, breaking a lot of hearts because you're so cute and talented."  
"What if he doesn't like water?"  
"Then I can't take him with me to the beach. Look, it's a big bath tube." She let his feet get wet, Eric's face was still skeptical.   
"Dogs at eight o'clock. Hold on, guys, slow down, baby around." Stephen tried to stop the dogs, half jumping on them, what they took as an offer to play and jumped on his back. "What the…hey!"   
"Now they want you to play with them."  
"Great, I can't swim."  
"Sofia, we need a tennis ball!"   
"Coming!" The blonde answered and a second later a tennis ball flew into the water, got the attention of the dogs and made them follow it.   
"Wait, I get it!" Stephen said and followed the dogs and the ball, starting a water fight.   
"Looks like they will be busy for a while." The blonde had Jorja on her arms and sat next to Sara. "How is Eric doing?"  
"Not that happy so far."  
"He's not into water, you are, aren't you, Darling?" She let Jorja sit on her lap in the water, gave her a gummy duck and the baby girl slapped her hands on the water and laughed, letting the duck drown in the water.   
"She's the one who loves to take a bath, he doesn't. Although the ocean isn't a bath tube, it's much cooler."  
"Don't worry, you will love the ocean, Eric. First it might be a little bit scary, but later you will love it. Come, we walk a little bit into the water, maybe you enjoy it more." Sara got up and walked with Eric deeper into the water. When a wave made his tights wet, he started crying. Jorja, who was next to them with Sofia, was giggling and threw her duck away to make Sofia follow it.   
"Okay, you're not into the ocean, I understand. We get back to your mom."   
"We stay, she loves it." Sofia let the girl grab the duck again.   
"You don't like the ocean? Never mind, the beach is great too." She carried Eric back to his father. "Your son doesn't like water a lot."  
"One day he will. Want to go back to your girlfriend?"  
"Yes." Sara kissed Eric and went back to Sofia, who was still playing the duck game with Jorja. "She likes this game, doesn't she?"  
"Yes, it's very handy, the duck comes back to her all the time. And so much water, great water. You'll be a beach girl, I can picture you here in your bikini, turning heads and enjoying the sunshine. Don't go for an arrogant surfer, they have always more than one woman on their hands. You don't want to be one of many, you want to be the one."  
"Isn't she a little bit too young for relationship advice?"  
"No, it's never too early. Look at the big boy, he enjoys the water." Sofia pointed to Stephen, who played with the dogs, let them pull him through the water, tried to catch them and the ball.   
"He does. We need to teach him how to swim, he will enjoy the water even more."  
"We should take him to a pool, make him fit for the next summer on the beach with us."  
"Yes…guess we made a decision, didn't we?" Sara smiled. With all the plans they had with and for Stephen, there was no need to think about adopting any longer. They made their decision.   
"Sounds like it. If he doesn't totally blew it today - which I can't imagine - we should talk with him soon, find out, what he thinks about staying with us."   
"The Captain as his grandmother."  
"Can't see a problem with this, she sent him coke." Sofia stepped next to her lover and kissed her. "Two kids, huh?"  
"Perfect American family."  
"One with our DNA, one adopted. Good mix. Just what we wanted."   
"Yes." The idea of giving Stephen a new home felt good. She wished somebody like herself and Sofia had given her a chance when she was fourteen. But maybe the boy saw it different. Like Sofia said, if today everything went on like it did before, there was no reason not to talk with him about becoming a part of their family. 

"Disappointed your godson isn't as much into water as you are?" Jules asked when Sara came back to the tent.   
"No, he might change his mind sooner or later."  
"Jorja loves it and so does Stephen. I assume you have a special reason why you took him with us today."   
Sara took a look around. Don, Tanya and Greg joined the others in the water, they were alone besides Eric, playing with his toys. "You're a shrink, you know we've a special reason for taking him with us, don't play dumb."  
"Shrinks like it when you talk to them without them having pulling out of your nose."  
"Therapeutic reasons, I suppose. What do you think?"  
"Are you asking me for a profile on Stephen?"  
"Yes."   
"I see him for the first time today, have barely talked to him, but the way he acts, I think you found a nice boy. He likes you and Sofia, he likes the dogs is well behaved."  
"He thinks Sofia is cool, they both love burgers and he had to be her excuse for having a burger once a week the last two weeks. Plus, the Captain likes him."  
"After he knocked her out."  
"Yeah. Brave boy."  
"What does he say about Sofia being pregnant?"  
"Nothing special, he was surprised because he knew from the beginning we're a couple, when we told him, I had for a moment the feeling, he was disappointed, but then he acted like before."  
"Might be he hoped you want him as a child and hearing, Sofia is pregnant, you will have your own baby with her, he became redundant. Why bother with a fourteen year old boy, when you have your baby?"  
"Because the fourteen year old boy is a lovely boy, who deserves a good home."  
"When will you talk with him about it?"  
"Next week, when we meet for burger."  
"Will he be around next weekend?"  
"If he doesn't change his mind, yes."  
"For your birthday."  
"For week number twelve of Jamie, the end of the critical time."  
"And your birthday. What are your wishes?"  
"A healthy baby and a happy teenager boy."  
"Besides two kids, what else do you want?"  
"Muffin and coffee session once a week with you."  
"Why do you need a therapist?"  
"I'm an American citizen, we all have therapists. I miss mine, the wonderful lady, who turned my crappy life into this wonderful life."  
"People with a wonderful life don't need a therapist."  
"With you everything is better."  
"Aren't you cute?" Jules pulled Sara in her arms and kissed her cheek. "I love you too. And I need to tell you something."  
"Like you want to leave Greg for me and want me to run away with you?"  
"We can take Eric with us."  
"Tempting but I love my beautiful blonde mermaid. She's pregnant with my child."  
"I've no chance against Sofia?"  
"No, nobody has. She's my life, without her I'm nothing. You make everything better, she makes me feel alive. Without her by my side, I can't exist. Sorry."  
"Don't worry, I love your best friend and…I can't run anymore."  
"Huh? Why not?"  
"I've to be careful, make sure I treat my body good, it's not only mine anymore."  
Sara's jaw dropped down. Did she got her friend right? Or was something wrong with her hearing? "Are you…? No…you can't…are you? What happened to the marriage?"  
"Well…some accidents are good."  
"Damn it, you're serious." Sara hugged Jules. "Congratulation. How far are you?"  
"Nine weeks."  
"Seriously? What took you so long to tell us?"  
"Well, it took myself until week five or six before I realized what was going on, like I said, this wasn't planned. I take the pill, but somehow it didn't work and now…we won't get married next year. Or at least not next summer."  
"Why not? The twins can walk by then. They're supposed to carry the wedding band. Don't call off the wedding, I look forward to be the best woman of your fiancé." She could carry the new baby, that wasn't a problem.   
Jules laughed. "Oh well, we see."  
"Twins again?"  
"No, one baby."  
"You know, you're nine weeks, Sofia is eleven…you could give birth on the same day when your baby can't wait or our has some time. A double room in hospital."  
"Might happen, you never know."  
"Oh, another baby, that's so cute. But I've to tell Greg off, he didn't say a single word the last four weeks. He could have told me."  
"Sorry, the deal was, we wait a little bit and then tell you. We told our parents yesterday, they're happy to get a new grandchild. See the bright side, we told you three weeks earlier than the last time."  
"Yeah, wow. You're pregnant. So cool. Did you hear that, Eric? You'll be a big brother next year. Tanya was right."  
"With what?"  
"She said, the twins won't be the last child."  
"Smart ass cousin, like I said, it wasn't planned like this, the twins were supposed to be the last kids. I need to figure out how I organize work, this time I can't stay away three months, my patients will leave me. What kind of therapist closes her office all the time because she's pregnant?"  
"The best one in Los Angeles."  
"They won't think this. No, I need to take the next break shorter, three weeks top."  
"Three weeks? That's not a lot."  
"Well, all I do is sit around and talk. I can do that with a big belly."  
"Mhm, talk to nutcases. Sometimes I wonder if I should give you a dog for your protection. In case one of your patients loses control and attacks you. You're alone in your office, you need some protection."  
"Like my gun?"  
"What do you mean with your gun?"  
"I've a gun in my desk, in case somebody gets crazy."  
"You have?"  
"Yes. Relieved?"  
"Surprised. You don't like guns."  
"No, but like you said, I'm alone in my office. By the way, Amanda and me will share an office as soon as the lawyers from the first floor are out. They talked about moving into another building by the end of the year. Apparently they need more staff and the offices downstairs are too small. Perfect for Amanda and me, we also might get a third therapist with us, this way we can divide our patients by two, less work for all of us."  
"A lot of news."  
"Do you still want me to have a dog?"  
"Yes. I think they're good for you and your patients. Dogs can make them feel more comfortable. Unless they're afraid of dogs but then they're at the right place to lose this fear."  
"And who takes the dog out for a walk?"  
"Your dog sitter? I happen to know a good one."  
"No, no dog for me. I've enough to do with the twins and baby number three. The really last baby."  
Sara grinned. Again a last baby?   
"No, it’s the last one. No more babies."  
"Who will be the godparents?"  
"We haven't decided yet…you know somebody? Like a good godmother?"  
"Yes, she's blonde, loves kids and is a wonderful person. And I'm sure when you tell her she'll be the godmother, she makes you the godmother of her child."  
"Her girlfriend and the father of the baby have to agree."  
"Her girlfriend agrees and the father will agree too. Do we have a deal?"  
"Let me talk about it with Greg - who is very likely to agree."   
"I still can't believe you're pregnant. It's so great. Can't see anything of your baby." Like she couldn't see anything of Sofia's pregnancy and her lover was two weeks further.   
"Probably because I still look half pregnant, there are a few pounds left of the twins, number three can have them now."  
"Number three? Is that the name of it? That's not nice." Sofia called her mean because of calling their baby snowflake. Snowflake was cute, number three was cold, like the baby was only a number.   
"We work a name out as soon as we know what gender it is."  
"Any favorites?"  
"Not yet."  
"Julia? Georgina? Julian? Gerald?"  
"No. Not a mini me and not a mini Greg."  
"Who is a mini Greg?" Sofia came with Jorja back. "Baby Jorja is tired now and her skin needs some time out from the sun." The blonde put the baby on the blanket, next to her brother, who was asleep.   
"Can I tell her?" Sara asked.   
"Tell me what?"  
"Do it."  
"There won't be a wedding next year."  
"What? Why? The twins can walk by then, there are no reasons not to get married. I picked out a dress already."  
"Sorry, you have to wait a little bit longer." Jules smiled.   
"Why? What did Greg do to screw up? I'm going to kick his ass, ruin my wedding. I mean, your wedding I'm looking forward to."  
"He got me pregnant."  
Like Sara before, Sofia's jaw dropped. In disbelieve she starred at the other woman. "I beg your pardon?"  
"If you and Jamie take your time, she might be a mom before you are. Week nine, close behind you."  
"Seriously?"  
"Yes."  
"I thought you don't want another baby."  
"I didn't. Sometimes protection doesn't protect you. Nothing works a hundred percent. I'm one of the minority."  
"Oh Jamie, you heard that? You'll have a sibling…it will be like you're twins." Sofia hugged Jules. "So cool. We can complain about getting fat, eating all the nasty stuff together and annoy our sweethearts. I feel so much better knowing you suffer with me."  
The therapist laughed. "Get mad when Sara calls us fat."  
"I never called you fat."  
"You asked if I'm really pregnant with only two babies, that means I looked fat."  
"Women."  
"It will get worse the more pregnant we get."   
"And I love you both anyway."  
"Good. We need to think about a cool present for her b-day next week. Or will you give her anything very personal, we don't want to be involved with?"   
"Does she deserve something?" The blonde asked mocking.   
"I'm sure she does. Like an adopted son?"  
Sofia smiled. Sara told their friend about their decision. Or the therapist figured it out herself by reading their body language. "Oh, yeah, he's definitely on our list, hopefully we're on his too. And he gets his first bodyboard lesson from Don."   
"What? He can't swim." Sara looked out for Stephen, if he was all right.   
"Look, she worries already. Like a mother."  
"Bite me, shrink!" Sara kissed Sofia and got up. "I've to save the poor boy. You can have some mommy talk."   
"You're a mom too."  
"Okay, some pregnancy talk. About getting fat, being moody and giving everybody around you a hard time."  
"Get lost!" Sofia grumbled. Easy for her girlfriend to complain, she didn't have all these hormones running through her body, messing everything up. It wasn't a pleasure all the time. 

"How many liter of salt water did you drink so far?" Sara asked when she was next to Stephen.   
"Many." His smile almost didn't fit into his face. "But, I managed not to drown and rode the board for a few yards. So great."  
"Mhm, it's great fun but you should get out of water, you're turning red. Believe somebody, who looked like a lobster ready to eat one time, it's not nice to be burnt by the beach sun."  
"Five more minutes."  
She laughed. "You can have another hour after you have applied more sun blocker on your skin and wait for half an hour. Aren't you hungry?"  
"I'm starving but it's so great."  
"Wind is increasing during the day, means, the waves get bigger, more fun. Lets have a break now and get back to fun later."  
"Okay. What about your godson?"  
"He's more into sand, maybe becomes a famous sand castle builder one day. His sister is the water fan."  
"Are you okay with that? You wanted him to be the surfer."  
"I'm happy when he's happy. Out of the water, boy." She pushed him towards the beach and got pushed back into the water by him.   
"No!" He dove into the water.   
"For somebody, who can't swim, he's doing pretty good." Sara smiled, went after him and grabbed his shoulder. "Gotcha. Under the sunshade with you. Now."  
"Yes Ma'am."  
"Don't Ma'am me or I kick your ass. Like the Captain would."  
"When will she come over?"  
"Friday, maybe she picks you up on Saturday, have a look at the children's home, let them get a taste of her live."  
"Since she did whatever she did, they treat me much better."  
"I'm glad to hear that." They got back to the tent and sit down in the shade. "Look at the pregnant women, sound asleep and hugging each other." Sara looked at Sofia and Jules, who lay asleep next to the twins, the therapist's arm was over the waist of the blonde and she hold her tight.   
"Shouldn't you get your girlfriend out of the other woman's arms?"  
"No, she looks comfortable and I slept in Jules's arms too, I know they're very comfortable. If Greg minds, he has to get here and separate them."   
"He looks busy on the volleyball field with Don and Tanya…do you know the other woman? Is she a friend?"  
"No I guess they invited her because we were in the water and they were asleep. Do you like volleyball?"  
"Never played beach volleyball."  
"Not? Do you want to try it later?"  
"Sure. When I'm allowed to be in the sun again." He blinked at her.   
"Right." She grinned. "Turn, I take care of your back. Half an hour and you can back into the water. Or the volleyball field."  
"Do you think they want me around when I've no idea what to do?"  
"Steve, it's all about the fun. Not a competition, a fun event. The only competition is when they play basketball. By the way, you're supposed to replace Sofia next Saturday. Kyle needs somebody to play with him when he fights Lynn/Don, Tanya/Dirk and Greg/me. Big competition, don't ask me why we have to do it, I got told, it's tradition and we have no choice."  
"Okay."  
"They started this years ago, it was always Don/Lynn versus Kyle/Sofia. Now Don is taken by somebody who like basketball, Kyle's girlfriend refuses to play, Lynn's boyfriend does everything, that makes her happy, so there are more groups. It's not allowed to be romantically involved. It's the only rule."  
"There are a lot of rules when you play basketball."  
"These rules are up to the referee."  
"Who is the referee?"  
"Whoever is available."  
"Sounds like an interesting game."  
"It is. I've never been a basketball fan, but this is fun. Nevertheless, I'll kick your ass when we play against each other next week."  
"You think."  
"Hah, I know!"   
"We'll see."   
"Gotta make the Captain our referee."  
"She likes me."  
"Maybe she remembers the can."   
"She does, that's why she sent me so many."  
"You're getting cheeky, my dear."  
"Comes from all the time I spent with you and Sofia."  
"Good thing school started again. How is it going there?"  
"I remembered what somebody told me about making your life better by having good marks and do my homework, learn for tests and even have private Spanish lessons."  
"Seriously?"  
"Yes, Tanya. She wants to talk to me in Spanish whenever she sees me."  
"Good training."  
"I've to learn all the important vocabularies for the barbecue next week. And for basketball."  
"Got your books with you?"  
"Yes, I will study on the beach. Like there is nothing better to do here."  
"You need your sun breaks anyway. Use them."   
"Let the poor boy have some fun when he's on the beach, he can learn for school tomorrow." Sofia sat up, yawned and looked at her lover. "Not everybody is a geek."  
"You slept in the arms of another woman, if I were in your shoes, I'd be quiet." Sara smiled.   
"Pregnancy therapy. A new style."  
"Mhm, lame excuse. This woman next to you tests the water, she hit on me too, weeks ago, when you and Greg were busy at work, came home late the whole week. Maybe you're her new project after she couldn't get me."  
"Well, of course she wants me, I'm sexy and adorable. We're the sexy and the geek couple."  
"I'm not a geek, don't believe her, Stephen."  
"Don't listen to her, Stephen, she's a geek. You are a cool kid, you know how to have fun without books, don't you?"  
"Sí, claro. Gracias por tu ayuada." He grinned.   
"Hah, he learnt already some Spanish vocabulary. I'm impressed. And so will your Spanish teacher. Need some chocolate for your book break?"  
"Yes."   
"Me too."  
"You, my darling girlfriend, won't get any before you didn't have your piece of fruit. Doctor rule." Sara gave Stephen a bar of chocolate and handed Sofia an apple. Her girlfriend would get herself the chocolate when Sara didn't watch, but she would stay away from fruits. 

"Wow, we are all back for lunch, nobody is drowned, nobody ended up on blankets with strangers." Greg said and took Jules's hand. "How are you?"  
"I managed not to rush to the bathroom today. Looks like number three agrees with the beach. We should come here more often."  
"Number three, horrible name. I mean, you called the twins also only 'the twins' the whole time, but sounds better than number three." Sara shook her head. "Please, come up with something better. By the way, why did you not tell me, Greggo? As your best friend I should have known earlier about your new baby."  
"Because my fiancé and me agreed on waiting until we're sure everything is fine, then tell our parents first. Like the last time…and this time will be the last time we tell you Jules is pregnant."  
Sara grinned. "Sure. You'll have a whole basketball team in a few years."  
"No, we won't. We wanted two children right from the beginning, not a basketball team. Now we'll have three."  
"But you are happy about it?" Stephen asked carefully. "Or will you…give it away?"  
"No, never." Jules took his hand, understanding the underlying fear. "We will keep our baby and we love it. It's not the baby's fault we didn't plan it. I'm sure it will be a wonderful child and will make us very happy. There is a reason why I'm pregnant again, why the protection didn't work. Babies are presents and we keep this present."  
"Some people think different. They give their children away."  
"Some people are idiots. You're surrounded by crazy people, as a psychologist I'm sure about this, but not by idiots. I know you know more than enough stories where it wasn't like this. I can promise you, I love my baby and there's no way Greg and me will not keep and love it. Planned or not planned. It's our child."  
"Good to know some people do care."   
"And I'm willing to bet, there will be a number four." Tanya grinned.   
"No, there won't."   
"Oh come, favorite cousin, you love kids, you love your fiancé, you'll end up pregnant again. Can't end with an uneven number, can you?"   
"No, sorry. Three kids is all we can afford. They cost some money and we want to offer them a few nice things too. Like vacation in Disney Land, beach times and some other fun things. So number three is the last one. If you want more babies around, have your own ones. The perfect man is in your life."  
"I think it's too early for that." Don said irritated. He liked children, was happy to be a dad soon, but a child for him and Tanya, that was way too early.   
"And I told you a couple of times, I won't get pregnant. For me it's not natural. I'm happy with my godchild and soon my boyfriend will be a father too, two kids are enough for me. Keep me out of this having a big belly thing."  
"We let Don talk about this with you in two or three years." Jules grinned.   
"This decision is final. He knows about it and is fine with that. I can be the godmother of your number three, that's all."  
"Sorry, that job is taken." Jules smiled at Sofia. "If you want."  
"Seriously?" The blonde clapped her hands happily. She could be the godmother? Not a cousin or friend of Jules?   
"Are you interested in becoming a godmother?"  
"Absolutely. Aaron will be happy. I'll spoil him or her."  
"Aaron?"  
"Like Sara said, number three is a horrible way to talk about your baby. Aaron is unisex, like Jamie, and much nicer. For me, your baby is Aaron."   
"Honey, they named our baby." Jules chuckled.   
"She's the godmother, don't argue with her. Plus, she has a gun." Greg smiled.   
"Not here. Don't tell me, you brought your gun, Sofia!"   
"No! I didn't." The blonde answered. Not that she hadn't thought about it, after all, she felt a little bit naked without a gun, but at the beach most people were half naked, so it was all right. Plus Sara would have told her off if she did that.   
"Good."  
"A gun makes me look very sexy, but I prefer to carry Jorja around, we will get into water again when she wakes up and she makes me even more sexy than a gun. My little fish like playing in the waves with the duck and me. Sara, will you try the same with Eric?"  
"No, he made it obvious, he doesn't like being in the ocean. I accept that and take Stephen out for a surf and swim lesson. Together with the dogs, they're our lifeguards."  
"It's great when they pull you through the water, I wonder if it feels the same when a dolphin does it. Have you ever been swimming with a dolphin?"  
"No, but I saw a few when I was surfing, that happens quite often. At least when you go to places, where they're seen frequently. Learn to swim and I take you to these places. If you're lucky, you can surf with a dolphin."  
"Cool."   
"And Jamie and me will sit on the beach, watch you and take photos." Maybe have some candy and a burger. Nobody could tell her off when they were in the water and she left alone. A good chance to have fast food. 

"The poor guy has a double lesson now: swimming and Spanish. So much for his Saturday afternoon on the beach. It's more an outdoor teaching session." Sofia said, letting her hand run through Sara's hair. They stayed on the beach. looking after the twins while the others were in the water. It was full on the beach, since noon a lot of people came over and they were happy to have all the space, they saved themselves in the morning. And for the shade of the tent and the sunshades.   
"Stephen looks like he enjoys it. Learning another language while you learn swimming, a nice combination."  
"I wish I got taught math on a surfboard. By a sexy young teacher, a well trained body, toothpaste advertisement smile and…hey, you weren't in my life at this time, don't give me this look. I couldn't dream of you, I didn't know you."  
"Mhm, there are a few surfer around, want to offer them, you help them with math?" Sara asked. "Now that you are the professional."   
"No, I prefer being with you, the woman I love. Shall I teach you a thing or two?"  
"Like what?"  
"I know this one tongue trick, how to connect two tongues together and make an endless kiss out of it. Interested?"  
"Try me." The brunette bent over and kissed her lover, pulling her into her arms. Their tongues played with each other, fought a gentle battle of dominance, disturbed by Sofia's cell phone.   
"Why now?"  
"Because it always rings in the worst moment." Sara sighed.   
"This better be good!" Sofia answered the phone.   
"Wow, lieutenant, you're not in the best mood."  
"Who's that?"  
"Now I'm disappointed. You watch my movies - if you appear to the show - but you don't recognize my voice?"  
"Lou?" Why did the actor call her? And why did he have her number? "Where did you get my number from?"  
"I've got my sources."  
"Tell the mayor I don't appreciate it when he gives away my number. Especially not my private number, he shouldn't have neither."  
"Darling Lieutenant, you left your number with your love letter."  
"You mean the invitation. Not a love letter. There's only one person I write love letters to and that's not you."  
"Ouch, hard hearted woman. Where are you?"  
"Why is that any of your business?"  
"I can hear voices, a lot of voices, waves, you're on the beach. What do you wear?"  
"Nothing, I'm with Sara in a tent."  
"Now I feel hot! Need some help?"  
"No, not at all. Will you come over for barbecue on Saturday?"  
"Yes, I will come and visit you. Even when you didn't take my invitation the last time."  
"Sorry, it was important, I might explain it to you on Saturday."  
"And now you tell me you have no more time for talking because you lie naked next to your girlfriend and have other things on your mind."  
"We're on a public beach, don't get any ideas."  
"Hard not to get any ideas when it comes to you in a bikini. Will you wear one on Saturday?"  
"No."  
"Bugger. What shall I bring?"  
"Whatever you want, just leave your bimbos at home, we don't need a hot air balloon head blonde."  
"You're so charming."  
"Apparently I am, otherwise you wouldn't come to my place or call me, ask me to come to your premiere."  
"Self-assure, I love that."  
"Sara loves everything about me, you lost again."  
"I figured out I've no chance against her. Will she stab me for hitting on you?"  
"If you don't stop my mom will shoot you before Sara gets the knife. My mother loves my better half almost as much as I do, you better behave yourself or you find yourself shot or restrained. The Captain doesn't understand any fun when it comes to her daughter and her daughter-in-law. And no, you can't charm her. Not even with your movie star smile."  
"A family with tough women, sounds very interesting. Got a sister I can date?"  
"No, only a married brother."  
"What a pity. What time shall I be there?"  
"Around seven. You don't need bodyguards, there will be enough cops around. Your fans can't get close to you in my garden."  
"I fee safe now. All right, see you on Saturday, my darling lieutenant."  
"Careful playboy, Sara hears every word."  
"Ouch. Hello and goodbye Sara."  
"See you on Saturday, Lou." Sofia grinned and ended the call. "He can't help himself but flirts all the time. Mom will give him the very evil eyes - just like you do. Maybe Saturday will be the first when somebody actually died because of the looks he got."  
"He'll end up on the barbecue if he hits on you." Sara pulled Sofia back in her arms. "I like the fact you told him not to take any bimbo to our place."  
"We don't want a bimbo on our party, it's your birthday party."  
"My birthday isn't Saturday and it's not important."  
"It's Sunday, we'll be still celebrating until then and to me, your birthday is very important. Without your birthday you wouldn't be here, I weren't happy and we weren't together. And we both can only be happy when we're together." The blonde kissed the brunette. If Sara liked it or not, she would celebrate her birthday because it was important. 

12th of September Wednesday

"I'm nervous." Sara bit on her lips, leaning on the counter in the kitchen, watching her girlfriend preparing her breakfast.   
"Me too, even when we don't have a reason to be nervous…who am I kidding? We have every reason to get crazy. Who believes we're cool?"  
"Not me." Sara walked to her lover, pulled her into her arms and kissed her. "What if he says no?" She had thought about this possibility so many times found so many - stupid - reason why Stephen should tell them, their idea of adopting them was ridiculous, stupid and he would never ever come to people like them.   
"Then we have only one child." The blonde sighed.   
"I really like him."  
"And it looks like he likes us too. Says the shrink and she's always right, isn't she?"  
"Yes. He fits perfectly to us. Loves the dogs, gets along with our friends, is good with the twins."  
"I know." Sofia kissed Sara's forehead. "Can you think of a reason why he should not want to live with us? A sensible one, not the stupid ones we came up with the last days."  
"No."  
"See. He enjoys the time with us, he works on a Saturday in the forest and I'm sure it's not only because he wants to be away from the children's home, but also because he likes being with you. He adores you, almost as much as I adore you."  
"Fingers crossed he adores me enough to move in with us…do you think we can be his parents until the end of the year?"  
"If he wants us, we can be his parents much sooner; at least when we talk about the heart. The law will take a little bit longer."   
"Bugger."  
"We're patient, aren't we?"  
"I know you are, you waited for me." Sara smiled a bit.   
"You were worth every single second." The blonde snuggled into the arms of her lover. "I love you."  
"Love you more. Time for me to go. I pick you up around three."   
"Yes, hungry and ready for our burger."  
"Triple everything."  
"Exactly. Do I get a triple kiss too?"  
"Maybe when we're back home."  
"When we're back home we need to take care of the dogs…a kiss every hundred yards?"  
"Fifty."   
"That's a deal."  
"Time to go, sorry." The brunette kissed her lover one more time. "See you in a little bit over nine hours - gosh, sounds like eternity."  
"You can call me whenever you miss me."  
"In that case I have to be on the phone the whole time." The brunette blinked, took her backpack and left the kitchen. Time for work and after work was time to find out if they would be a bigger family soon or not. Hopefully Stephen liked the idea of staying here as much as they did. 

"Did you finish your homework?" Sara greeted Stephen when he opened the door and slipped on the passenger seat.   
"Most of it."  
"Most of it? Define that."  
"Only Spanish needs my attention."  
"Time to meet Tanya again?"  
"No, not that bad."   
"Mhm?"  
"No, really. I got a B."  
"Really? That's great."  
"Just doing the best to get out of there."   
Sara pressed her lips together. It was in his hands to get out there sooner than he thought he could, but she couldn't tell him yet. First they had to get Sofia and drive to the burger place. She needed her lover by her side and it was only fair to wait, until they were all settled and relaxed.   
"I'm starving." Sofia said and jumped on the backseat. "Hi Stephen."  
"Hey, do you want to sit here?"  
"No, I'm fine here. How was school?"  
"How was school for you when you were my age?"  
"A pain in the ass." Sofia grinned.   
"See. When will the Captain arrive?"  
"Friday. Do you miss her?"  
"It will be fun to see her Saturday. I've a can of coke left."   
"Do you plan to throw it on her head? In that case we call our personal doctor in advance and book her for that day."  
"No, I offer it to her to drink. I'm sure if I throw a can on her head again, she won't take it as good as the last time. Now I know who she is. The Captain."  
"Exactly." Sofia's eyes found Sara's in the rearview mirror and she saw how nervous her lover was. She didn't want to think about what would happen if Stephen told them, he didn't want to be with them. It would break Sara's heart and Sofia wasn't sure, if she could handle a heart broken Sara. Whenever her lover was sad, it hurt her too.   
Getting through the traffic onto the Pacific Highway, Sara stopped the car in front of Triple Burgers.   
"Ready for your fatty burger?"  
"Absolutely." Sofia got out of the car. "We get a great triple burger, don't we Stephen?"  
"Yes. With extra large fries and coke."  
"You name it."  
"Honey, you get your burger and a salad while I get your fries. You know the deal."  
"Dessert?"  
"When you eat your salad and not only shuffle it from one side to the other so it looks like you ate most of it."  
"She blackmails me."  
"All out of love." Stephen chuckled.   
"Are you on her side?"  
"I'm on Jamie's side, Jamie can't talk for himself or herself and needs somebody to do that. And unfortunately Jamie will like the salad, it's good for him. Her. If that makes me being on Sara's side, I'm on her side. Sorry."  
"I will eat the salad. Everybody is against my addiction to bad fast food."   
"You can have as much fast food as you want when Jamie is born. I deliver it myself to your bed in hospital."  
"Sounds good, Hospital food is horrible."   
"Want to try the crap we get in the children's home?"   
"Uhm, no thanks. I get the burgers for us. You save the table…I want a nice one with ocean view."   
"She's demanding. Let me give you a hand." Stephen smiled and followed Sofia.   
"Mhm, a hand and order some extra sauce and fatty stuff. You're both a nightmare." Sara shook her head and decided to get a table next to the window, with a view on the ocean. Was this their lucky table? Only a few more minutes and they could ask Stephen about becoming their son. A few more minutes. Why didn't they come here yesterday? They had all their answers already.   
"Here is your our salad - and my fries." Sofia put the tray with the food on the table.   
"You ordered extra large."  
"The deal was one burger, we didn't have a deal about the size."  
"Yeah, I didn't expect anything else. What did you choose for dessert, Stephen?"   
"Ice cream and cake."  
"Double dessert."  
"It's a triple burger, we can't have only a single dessert."  
"Your opinion or somebody else's?"  
"Our decision."   
"I see you're a great team."   
"We are." Stephen bit in his burger with a wide grin and so did Sofia.   
"Oh, they drowned it in sauce, I love it. Love it. Love it." The blonde sighed. "Jamie is over the moon to get all these lovely things. Mhm, meat in tomato sauce and cheese…are you sure you don't want to try this one, Honey?"   
"Absolutely sure."  
"You've no idea what you miss out. What do you think Stephen?"  
"I think if she doesn't want to eat the burger, we have to share a third one, hers. Free country, everybody can do what they want."  
"True…You can't go to Triple Burger and not order a burger. We need a third combo and if Sara doesn't want her combo, we have to eat it. Sacrifice ourselves."   
"Really a tough punishment." Stephen grinned.   
Sara looked at her lover. She didn't want to wait any longer, she wasn't hungry, she wanted to know what Stephen thought about their plan.   
"Stephen, we want to ask you something." Sara pushed away her food.   
"What is it?"  
"We thought about…gosh…I've no idea how to say it…I guess, I say it straight forward. Can you imagine living with us? Be a part of our family?" Now it was out. Not in a sensitive way, explaining everything carefully, testing the water. No, she pushed him right into the water. Now she had played the ball to him and it was up to him what happened next.   
The boy dropped his burger, looked in disbelieve at both women, not capable of saying a word. Did Sara really say what he understood? Did she really asked him to become their son? Did she really want him?   
"If you don't want, you can just say it, we won't be mad." Sofia said into the silence, not wanting to build up too much pressure. After all, they had a couple of days to think about it, he was confronted with it and had to react right away. Not entirely fair.   
"No…I mean…not no to your question…I mean…why? You'll have your child, Sofia is pregnant, you'll have your own baby, you don't need…me. Why take a boy from a children's home, who was in trouble, when you have a baby? Jamie will complete your family. Why would you want me?"  
"Because you're very special and we love you. Yes, you're not a baby, yes you don't have our DNA, but we think, DNA isn't the most important thing when it comes to family. It's the heart that matters and your heart is perfect." Sara said, not sure if Stephen agreed or was unsure what to do and say.   
"Are you sure you want this?"  
"Absolutely. We thought about it for a while, didn't want to ask you before we aren't sure ourselves, but whenever we spent time with you, you showed how wonderful you fit to us and we really want you around, be a part of our family. But if you need some time to think about it, we understand that. It's a big decision. We don't want to rush you into something, don't want you to say yes and regret it later. Our family is supposed to be your final family, when you want and not another stopover."  
"What are the conditions? There are conditions, right?"  
Sofia smiled. "There are a few. The house rules, everybody has to agree on otherwise he or she can't live with us. We made them up a while ago, to make sure, we all want the same for a few things. Most important is honesty. We can handle everything as long as you're honest. No matter what happened, as long as you tell us what happens, it's not that bad. But what we would really hate, is finding out from somebody else what really happen because that means, you don't trust us. Aren't honest. We want to be one hundred percent honest to you and expect the same from you.  
As you know, it's a big house, our doors are always unlocked that means, we all have to trust each other. Goes for our room and also for Dons, Sallys and Tony's room. The only time we lock our bedroom doors is, when we have a houseguest from the internet, because we have no idea what kind of person he or she is. But when we're alone all doors are open, means we all respect each other's privacy. You're not supposed to walk into the room of somebody without being invited and nobody will go into your room without you saying it's okay. Nobody controls your room, so when you put something in your room, it's safe there. Besides the dogs, they have the habit of controlling room, so if you have potato chips or anything else eatable in your room, make sure it's packed up high in a shelf, otherwise our monsters will eat it. I guess the only things that are locked away are our guns and we have a fireproofed safe for important paper, but we all know the code so it's really only safe to fire and burglars.   
Another condition is the work. Everybody has certain jobs to do. You have to clean your own room, at least once a week, we don't care if you clean it spotless like a hospital room, as long as it looks clean and no insects start to camp in there, it's your room, you decide how clean you want to have it. Some people sleep only a few nights in their sheets, other a week or two, it's up to you. We take turns when it comes to the rest of our level, the kitchen and bathrooms. The downstairs kitchen, bathroom and living room gets cleaned by two people each week. Means, you will be involved in a lot of cleaning. Same for the rest of the housework, we share it and we expect you to help.   
School is your highest priority, we expect you to do your best to get good marks. You're free to do whatever you want after your homework is done and as long as your marks are okay. And with okay I don't mean a D and passed because the teacher had a good day. You're a smart boy and it's very annoying watching somebody wasting their talent. Otherwise, when you do all right, you don't have a special curfew because we think, you're responsible enough to know, you need your sleep during the week. You want to stay somewhere longer, just let us know, we can pick you up.   
And to come to Jamie: yes, we'll have a baby and babies need a lot of attention. We need to spend a lot of time with Jamie, do everything for him or her, as babies are helpless. That doesn't mean we forget you or love you less, but you're fourteen, you can eat alone, use the bathroom and say what you want, the baby can't. And it's our first baby, so we're not entirely sure what to do and when, so we might need more time than others. But Jamie doesn't make you less important to us, to make that clear." Sofia took a deep breath. Long speech, a lot of things were said. "Can you live with these rules?"  
"Quite a lot."  
"Yes, you wanted to know the conditions, these are the conditions. Like I said, honesty is important and I told you honestly what we expect you to do. The most important thing is that you trust us. We trust you, we're honest with you and we expect the same from you."  
"Now tell us your rules." Sara smiled.   
"My rules?"  
"Yes, your condition, I'm sure you have got anticipations too. How you want your parents to be. We want to know what you want, what you wish for. So we can tell you, if we can be or do what you want."  
"Uhm…I don't know…I want to be trusted, not seen as the boy from the children's home, who gets in trouble all the time and it's always his fault. I want to be allowed to make own decisions, get treated like anybody else the family. And…want a chance to explain myself and the situation, when something went wrong."  
"Sounds like things we can agree on." The brunette took his hand. "Sounds a lot like the things we want."  
"Can you adopt me? Don't you have to be married for it?"  
"The law says we can adopt you, it's up to you. When you want to live with us, we can make it possible. It will take a few months until all the paperwork is done, but you can live with us before that. In fact, you have to move in earlier so we can find out, it works out between all of us. And the state wants to check us too. Send social workers to find out, if we treat you good and if you really want to stay with us."  
He smiled a little bit. "Of course I want to stay with you."   
"Really?" Sara asked.   
"Can I get a better place? Two cool mothers and an ass kicking grandmother." His smile got bigger.   
"Oh Stephen." Sara slipped next to him and pulled him into her arms. "I'm so happy. You have no idea how happy you make me." He agreed, he said yes. He wanted to be with them.   
"You make me happy. You really want me?"  
"Didn't I tell you from the beginning you're special?"  
"You did. And so did Sofia. Got me back to the forest instead of sending me to prison."   
"That's not a place for you, you belong with us."  
"I promise there won't be any incidents anymore, that may require me to go to prison. I won't risk getting taken away from you."   
"Do I get a hug too? Or am I forgotten?" The blonde asked.  
"At least one and there's no way we could ever forget you." Stephen hugged Sofia, unable to hide his tears anymore. "Thanks. I…I…I've no idea what to say."  
"You said the most important thing, you said yes to become our son."  
"Do I have to call you both mom now? And how will you know whom I mean?"  
"Mom Sara and mom Sofia? Or just Sara and Sofia. Whatever you prefer." The name thing should be the smallest problem. At least to Sofia.   
"I think Sara and Sofia, so you know whom I mean. Oh gosh, I'll have a family."  
"A big one. The whole house is your family. Plus the extended family. And the Captain."   
"Can I call her grandma or do I have to call her Captain?"  
"Well, you can ask her on Saturday. I'm sure you can call her grandma."  
"Cool. My grandma is a Captain and she kicked the asses of all prison guards."  
"She did. And when they want to give us a hard time adopting you, she'll do the same."  
"Good to know."  
"What you also have to think about is, by having two mothers and no the typical mother-father-family, you might hear some stupid comments in school. Not all people are open-minded and respect different kinds of life. And although Los Angeles, especially Silver Lake, is a very city with a lot of same sex couples, there are people, who will attack you. Even when they use only words, it will hurt."  
"What do they say? Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."   
"Unfortunately they hurt your soul. It's something you have to think about."  
"I don't care what other people say, if they have a problem with you and Sara, I think you're both cool."  
"Right, two women kissing is sexy, two men is not." Sara grinned, remembering his comment when they started working together.   
Stephen's face turned a little bit red. "Maybe that was a stupid comment I made. Looks like I've to become a little bit more tolerant too."  
"You can work on that, as long as you have no problems seeing Sara and me kissing, the most important part is done."  
"I saw you kissing a couple of times, no problems."   
"Good, because we won't stop it. I love her too much. Look how cute red she turns when I say that out loud in public." Sofia and Stephen laughed while Sara stuck out her tongue. Yes, she wasn't used to declaration of love in public, so what?   
"Maybe we should eat our ice cream before it's pudding." Sara said, looking at the rest of their ice cream. They had their answers and could celebrate now.   
"Or we have ice pudding and ice cream. For celebration reasons."  
"I thought you want a second burger."  
"True. Well, I should finish my first one. When do you want to talk to my prison guards?"  
"Tonight. The sooner we talk to them, get the paperwork started, the sooner you can move in with us or do you want to stay there longer?"  
"No! Of course not."  
"In that case we should finish the burger and pudding ice and cake. And tell them, they can give your bed away to somebody else." Sara smiled. Their son. Stephen would be their son.   
"Where will I stay?"  
"Well, we have two more free rooms, you can choose one and then we go shopping and get you all the furniture you need."  
"I can choose?"  
"Of course, it's your room. You choose the furniture, the color for your walls, the decoration."  
"Wow…I've to think about that."  
"You think and on Saturday you choose your room and we get what you need. There should be some time for shopping."   
"Wow…hopefully they let me go ASAP."   
"We hope the same." Sara smiled and found Sofia's eyes. The relief in her eyes was more than visible. Stephen wanted to live with them, all their fears and concern were gone and the next step was the children's home and the law. But the most important step was done. He wanted to be a part of their family. 

When they stopped in front of the children's home, all three took a deep breath. Time to break the news, time to start the machinery of adopting. Time for a lot of questions and paperwork.   
"Lets break the news." Sofia said. "Always remember, we have the Captain as a back-up." She had no idea how her mother could help them, but knowing she had some connections to Los Angeles made her relax more.   
"Uhm…maybe you should know that the director called me the last time Mrs. Sidle, I think he expects the reason why the Captain is my mother-in-law is a man and not a woman."  
"Well, he thought wrong, you're not married to my brother."  
"No, even when he's your brother, he's not like you, not my type."  
"I'm glad to know that, now he's allowed to visit us again. As for the director, we're legally allowed to adopt children and when Stephen has no problem with us, neither should he. It's a state facility."   
"He'll be happy to get rid off me, as you know, I'm a problem child." Stephen said.   
"You're not a problem child and if you are, you're a problem we love to have. Most times men in suits are the biggest problem. Come on, we all imagine we're the Captain and kick some asses. I know, Sara is good at ass kicking, she did it as a CSI a couple of time, got her into trouble and she didn't give a fu…didn't care." Sofia grinned.   
"Well, you have your mom's DNA, means you also don't give a fuck."  
"Stephen, watch your mouth - for as long as we talk with suits."  
"Yes Ma'am."   
They got out of the car and went to the front door, under the eyes of various children. Like the last time, before they could reach the door, a man appeared.   
"Did he get into trouble or why are you taking him to the door? What did you do, Stephen?"  
"He didn't do anything wrong, we'd like to talk to Mister Sunday. It's urgent." Sara said, getting between the man and Stephen. She wished she could say out loud what she thought about this man and his behavior, but she had to hold back.  
"Can I help you?"  
"No, we want to talk to Mister Sunday and we'd appreciate if you could get us to him. ASAP and with Stephen." Sofia said ice cold.   
Sara hid a smile. Oh, her lover was so much like her mother when she wanted. And by the face of the man, he had heard about Captain Curtis and her action. Yes, he faced the younger version of the Captain, who seemed to be the same like her mother.   
"Come in, I'll let him know you're here…Mrs.?"  
"Curtis and Sidle."  
"Captain Curtis?"  
"That would be my mother, we're very much alike."   
"Yes…" He turned guided them to a hallway with a few chairs. "Have a seat, I let Mister Sunday know you're here. It shouldn't take longer than a minute."  
"That's good, we're not here to waste time."   
The man vanished into a room.   
"Honey, you're so much like your mother." Sara said quietly.   
"I know, scary, isn't it?"  
"Actually, only to people who are scared of the Captain. I can see a lot of your father in you too."   
"Surprise, I've the DNA of both of them. What do you think, Stephen? Will we see your director soon?"  
"Yes." The boy grinned. "Flenders almost pissed himself when you told him what to do and when you mentioned the name 'Curtis' he almost got a heart attack. Really cool mother and grandmother."  
"Thanks. I haven't started yet. You stay nice, let me be the bitch. Or Sara. It comes natural for her too."  
"Love you too, Darling." Sara grumbled and kept her face stoic when the door was opened and Mister Sunday's face appeared.   
"Mrs. Sidle, Mrs. Curtis? Why don't you come in? Would you like something to drink?"  
"Sure, we take a coffee, black no sugar, no milk. Stephen?"  
"I'm fine, thanks."   
"Flenders, three coffee."  
"Yes Mister Sunday."   
Sara, Sofia and Stephen went into the room.   
"Have a seat." Mister Sunday pointed to a little table, where four chairs were and pulled his chair from behind the desk to the table. Sara and Sofia took Stephen in their middle.   
"What can I do for you? Did anything happen with Stephen? Any problems?"  
"No, no problems. I come straight to the point, Mister Sunday, I hate wasting my time and the time of other people. My partner and me talked with Stephen about adopting him. He agreed and we are here to tell you, we want to adopt him."  
"Really?"  
"Is there a problem with this?" Sofia's voice was sharp like a knife, made the man wince a little bit. So her mother used this tone when she called here, good to know. She created a wound and it was much easier to open a wound, create bigger pain, than causing a wound first.   
"No, of course not. It's just…most people want younger children."  
"We're not most people and as you're aware, Stephen knows parts of the family and gets along with them. It's important the child fits into the family and he does."   
"You're right on this…we need to ask a few questions of course, there will be some paper work and checks…if I'm allowed to ask, do you have already children?"  
"Third month pregnant." Sofia pointed to her belly. "Stephen knows it, it's not a problem for him. And we can care for two children, especially after the Captain decided to move to Los Angeles and will be around the whole day. You don't have to worry Stephen comes home from school and nobody is there, there will be an adult and I'm pretty sure, my mother can handle him."  
A knock on the door and it got opened by Flenders, who put three cups of coffee on the table and vanished again.   
"Oh, I'm sure she can…Stephen, do you want to live with them?"  
"Yes. They feel already like family. I can't think of better mothers."  
Sofia felt like sighing for a moment, but that didn't fit to the role she was playing.   
"We're both highly educated people, Miss Curtis works law enforcement, was for many years a part of the police enforcement, I worked for years as a CSI, we can provide the right environment for Stephen, to grow up, successful finish school and go to college and university later. Something we expect him to do." Sara continued for her lover.   
"His marks aren't that good at the moment."  
"They will improve, I've no doubt about it. We can both help him with his homework and we told him, school will be his highest priority. He agreed and we expect him to keep his promises. We won't accept anything else and neither does the Captain, who will be around every day, like Miss Curtis said."  
"I see. There is some paperwork, that will take some time. And of course, Stephen has to stay with you so we all see, if it works out."  
"That's not a problem, we have a spare room for him, if you make sure the paperwork is done ASAP, we make sure he can move in ASAP. Like I said, I don't like wasting time, that includes your time too. If there are any problems I expect you to say them right away, so we can work on a solution. You and we have better things to do than playing games and waste our time. You run a children's home, I'm aware it's a lot of work. Tell us what you need from us and we get it to you ASAP. In return we want you to work on this case ASAP and we don't like surprises. I'm sure when we all give our best and play with open cards, we can finish this much faster. Gives you a free bed, a successful placement of a teenager and us the child we want."  
"Yes Ma'am."  
"Good. I assume there are no problems with his visit on Saturday to Sunday. The Captain will pick you up. Stephen, she wants to see how you live. Don't be too engaged in cleaning your room, she'll know it and won't buy it. She knows how fourteen year old boys are."  
"Okay, I tidy up but not spotless."  
"Exactly. Is nine o'clock in okay, Mister Sunday?"  
"Yes, of course."  
"And we take him back here on Sunday evening at eight."  
"No problem."  
"Very nice. You better have your homework done when the Captain picks you up, otherwise she'll leave you here. Homework is highest priority for her."  
"I'll do them on Friday right after school."  
"That's what we want to hear. Mister Sunday, do you have a list with paperwork we must deliver or do? So we can get started on them and leave them here for you when we take Stephen back."  
"Sure, I give you a list." He opened his desk and looked through paper.   
Sara decided it was better for her not to look at her lover, otherwise she might started laughing. The annoyed look, the attitude, Sofia was really so much like Marie, it was hilarious but when she laughed, she blew the play.   
"Here you are. Anything else I can help you with?"  
"Any other information we need to know? Anything else we can do to have Stephen ASAP with us?"  
"As soon as the first paperwork is done, he can stay with you to find out, if it works out."  
"Hopefully soon. Okay, in that case we'll leave. Stephen, be ready to leave on Saturday, you know the Captain, she doesn't like it when things get delayed."  
"I'll be ready five minutes earlier."  
"She'll appreciate that. Mister Sunday, I'm sure we'll talk soon."  
"Yes, Mrs. Curtis. Miss Sidle, thanks for your decision."  
"Stephen is a wonderful boy, I'm sure we won't regret our decision." Sara smiled at Stephen. "We see you on Saturday."  
"Yeah, say hello to the Captain when she arrives on Friday. And my future grandfather."  
"We'll do that." Sofia got up. Time to leave, she had no idea for how much longer she could acted like her mother. It was somehow in her blood and at the same time, it was hard to stay serious. 

"You know, when you act like in the office, you're serious sexy. Even more than you are anyway. Made me want to jump you and ask you to punish me because I've been a bad, bad girl." Sara grinned when they were in the car, taking the hand of her lover. "I like it when you're that rough, play the bitch and kick asses. Detective Dirty, where are your cuffs? Cuff me and interrogate me. The whole night. Please."  
Sofia laughed and looked amused at her lover. "Careful with your words, my Dear. Your wishes might come true."  
"Nothing that worries me right now. You got the director, he didn't dare to deny any request. I wonder if that was because he was scared of you or your mother. He had never seen her, but I bet after her call and whoever paid them a visit here, they looked her up in the internet. And out of the blue the younger version stood in front of their door."  
"I bet it was the combination. Imagine, my mother and me appear on Saturday and kick his ass. He better works fast to get Stephen to us, this way he doesn't have to handle my mom and me anymore. You, on the other hand, were quite nice. You can be much more bitchier."  
"Good cop, bad cop. For a change I was the good one. Or the better one, not really good. Jamie, did you hear how your mommies acted? Remember this for later, when you're older and make us mad."  
"Are you threatening our unborn child?"  
"No, I tell him or her what will happen when rules get broken."  
"We're not nightmare mothers."  
"No, but we won't let our children do whatever they want. If they break the rules, we'll get them into trouble. And no, it doesn't mean you're like your mother, when you tell Stephen or Jamie off for drink driving, smoking in the garden or messing up the house. Some rules kids have to learn, if they like it or not."  
"Now you sound like my mother."  
"I love your mother."  
"Want to join her when she picks up Stephen on Saturday?"  
"Maybe. Or I use the time with you alone, your father will be busy in the kitchen, means we have the upper level for ourselves."   
"If you're not too busy preparing. The room for the twins is ready, I'm sure Greg and Jules leave them with us, no point in waking them up and carry them over. In fact, they can stay too. Mom and dad sleep in the room downstairs, we need a mattress or something for Stephen. Or we get his bed on Saturday."  
"We should have the time for a short shopping trip."  
"Yeah, like you said, dad will be busy in the kitchen, preparing the salads, he'll do the steaks on Friday night, all we have to take care of is the beer and other drinks. And snacks."  
"I look forward to that day, Jamie will be twelve weeks then, the first trimester is over. A little bit over two inches and half an ounce…or with all the fast food it gets maybe more."  
"No, the fast food stays on my hips, make me even fatter and at one point you don't think anymore I'm sexy. Only fat. And then you start sleeping on the couch, find excuses why you don't have to spend time with me…"  
"Are you in one of your hormone talks or are you just talking bullshit?" Sara asked dryly.   
"If it was a hormone talk I'd be quite mad now."  
"You should know I'll always sleep in bed with you, I hate being apart from you and am really happy, that no advanced training forced us to stay apart overnight. And when I remember correctly, I come home right away after work, always call you when I can't make it back home on time, never stayed away for no reason. And you'll always be sexy in my eyes."  
"Good. In week thirteen my appetite for sex will increase."  
"I can't remember a time you ever lost it."  
"Must be because you're so delicious. A diet is nonsense. You're the best healthy food, burn calories instead of gaining them. What brings me back to your request to cuffs…we should take the dogs for a walk when we're back home and get through your request, step by step."  
"You want to cuff me? Punish me?"  
"Yes. I bite into your cute ass."  
"Don't!"   
"I will. Because I know it drives you crazy. Like when you tickle me, this is the best payback. Plus, we have to enjoy the time we are alone in the upper level, soon there'll be our son and then we have to behave. Or be quiet. I hope he likes listen to loud music. With his headset."  
"Children ruin your sex life, it's common knowledge."  
"I'm sure they won't ruin ours. Otherwise we need to get away for a night, my mother can look after them."  
"Nice idea and I'm sure she'll enjoy the idea too."  
"And next year we'll have a family holiday…do you think Stephen wants to get on vacation with us? Or is that not cool?"  
"For most fifteen year old boys it's not cool, for him it's the first family holiday, I'm sure he wants to come with us. Any idea where we want to go?"  
"Our budget won't allow much…maybe we can visit my brother and his family. Saves money."  
"Good idea, we haven't been there for a long, long time."   
"Well, I didn't really miss them. Is it bad I'm not that close to my brother? It's not like I don't like him, we just don't have many things in common."  
"Honey, your relationship with your brother is much better than the relationship I've with my brother. Or my mother."  
"When Jamie is born, will you tell them?"  
"No. Like I said, they're not in my life anymore. Having Jamie doesn't change that. Is that okay with you?"  
"Absolutely. They let you down, they weren't good for you, we don't need them."  
"No, we don't. All I need is you." Sara bent over and kissed her lover. As long as Sofia was with her, her life was complete. And when Stephen and Jamie were with them, their lives couldn't get better. Their own family. One year from now they should live all four together and be a family. It sounded so real, like it was a science-fiction movie, but it would be real. The reality they created. 

15th of September Saturday

"Explanation! Now!" Marie ordered when she came into the kitchen and found her daughter and Sara there. Stephen was behind the Captain and looked guilty.   
"Oh, they spoiled the fun?" Sofia looked at Stephen, who only nodded.   
"They told me, this young man will be my grandson within the next months. Why am I not informed?"  
"Because we wanted to tell you and dad when Stephen is here, surprise you."  
"Well, somebody else surprised me. I played along, this young man told me, you decided you want to adopt him, talked to his director on Wednesday. Why weren't we told Wednesday evening?"  
"Like I said, it was supposed to be a surprise for today. I hope you didn't blame Stephen for it."  
"It's not his fault that you never talk to me."  
"We talk to you, Marie." Sara got up, hugged her mother-in-law. "Isn't it great that Stephen wants to live with us? You can't imagine how happy I am because he wants to be with us. He's such a great boy and he'll be our son, your grandson. I'm sorry you heard about it like this, we wanted to tell you and Mark at lunch, have a little party, only for him. We had the best intention, should have told the prison guards not to tell you about it. Of course they assume you knew about it, they were scared as soon as they heared your name and your daughter gave them a very good example of how you act when you're there. She was such a bitch, kicked their asses, made the director whine. You did an excellent job with her."  
"Don't charm me, Sara."  
"Why? It works?" Sara grinned and kissed her mother-in-law on both cheeks. "You can smile now, you told us off, time to get back to my lovely mom and leave the Captain in Vegas. It's a family meeting, not a work meeting."  
"You're just as horrible as Sofia."  
"And you love us both."   
"Yes."  
"Stop looking guilty, Stephen, your grandmother isn't mad." Sofia got up and pulled the boy in her arms."  
"She was mad."  
"Not with you, with me and Sara and only because the prison guards spoiled our surprise. Come on, we leave her in the kitchen and get upstairs, it's time for you to decide which room you want. Or did she make you change your mind? Don't you want somebody like her as your grandmother?"  
"Of course I didn't change my mind…and I think she's a cool grandmother…only scary. Sometimes."  
"See, you scared our baby, stop that!" Sara complained. "You can scare other people, not family. Stephen is family."  
"Not yet." He said.  
"We don't give a damn about the law, the three of us decided and that's what matters. Like the law doesn't let me marry Sofia, I love her anyway, she's my family and my wife. Screw the law."  
"Sara, language." Marie reprinted her daughter-in-law.  
"Why? He's fourteen. Not four. He won't get kicked out of kindergarten for swearing."  
"Great, I've to bring up two children because you and Sofia aren't capable of it."  
"That's why we have you here." Sofia grinned. "Come on, Stephen, choose your room." She took his hand and pulled him upstairs to their level, followed by Sara.   
"You can have this one, it's next to a bathroom or this one. Quite long, not that wide, but bigger than the other one. Both with a view over the garden and if we ever have too much money, we get a big balcony next to your room, on top of Don't living room. Something to impress your dates. Yes, you are allowed to bring them home, we want to meet them all - and try not to act too embarrassing."   
"Uhm…okay…" Stephen went into the first room, that was a little bit over three by three and back in the second, around two by five. "I think I take this one. If that's okay."  
"Honey, you can choose, whatever you choose is okay." Sara said and put her arm around him. "Did you think about a color?"  
"I like green."  
"Perfect. Do you like the floor or shall we get you a new floor?"   
"No, wood is perfect. Thanks."  
"In that case we leave your grumpy grandmother and Sofia behind and take off for a shopping tour. Paint for the wall, a bed and whatever else we find."  
"Why do we leave Sofia behind?"  
"She can't carry anything heavy and takes away the space we need in the car. But we take her car, it's bigger than mine."  
"I feel used." The blonde complained.   
"No, you feel loved. We bring you something from the home center. Do you like IKEA?"  
"I don't know."  
"We'll find out. They've some of Sofia's favorite candies there, we can buy her a few. Today she's allowed to eat them. Almost as much as she wants."  
"Only almost?" He smirked.  
"Well, you know, she's like a dog. You give her endlessly food, she'll eat until she throws up. Ouch!" Sara held her arm after she got slapped by her lover. She wasn't a dog, her girlfriend should watch her tongue. After all, she talked to their son, how could Stephen respect Sofia when Sara said, she was a dog. Or like a dog. 

"Where are the strong men? We need some really strong men for all the things we bought." Sara came with a big bag into the living room. "Don? I need you! Now!"   
"Sofia won't like that." Stephen chuckled while he pulled a big bag after him.   
"She has to live with that. Don! Tony! We need your strong arms."  
"I don't have strong arms." Tony called back.   
"Your chance to get them strong."   
"I'm more the soft type."  
"Get your ass down!"   
"Am here." He came down the stairs. "Hey Steve, congratulation to your new mothers. Even when they yell at their housemates. They are great."  
"Thanks. Sorry we have to bother you."  
"Ah, don't worry, I can use a break from the computer. Look, there's Mister Boombastic. He wears a muscle shirt, he can have the heavy stuff." Tony grinned when Don came down the stairs.   
"Hey Stephen, how are you?"  
"Great, thanks. We could use your help, if you have time."  
"You heard the woman, she needs me now. Honey, how do we explain this your girlfriend and my girlfriend?"  
"They don't have to know." Sara smirked.   
"They sat next to me, they know it. And both are on their way down; as soon as they finished the game. Our mom wasn't happy when she found us in front of the TV, grumbled something about living in a house with teenager and went away. What do you need me to carry?"  
"The car is full, we bought a few things for Stephen's room. This boy has a taste for the cheapest stuff."  
"I got told for years the cheapest stuff is more than good enough for me."  
"From now on it's: the best is almost good enough for you. Try to remember this."  
"Okay."   
"She lost! She lost!" Sofia came down the stairs, hugged and kissed Sara.   
"She'll be in pain the next time I see her in my office." Tanya answered. "I'll have the last laughter."  
"Not fair. I don't use my job against you and make you the suspect in a murder case. Stay fair, game is game and teeth are teeth."  
"Are you sure you want to live in this looney bin?" Sara asked Stephen and went upstairs.   
"I love it already. It's great." They carried everything in the other empty room upstairs. "Can we leave everything in here?"  
"Yes. We start with the paint, build up your bed and that should be enough for today. It's not a work Saturday, it's a fun day."  
"Preparing my room is fun. For me."  
"You can continue as long as you want."  
"I've got the paint, who wants to be the painter?"  
"Me! I had to paint a lot of rooms in the children's home, I like painting."  
"Perfect. Get the other bucket upstairs, I get you all the things you need. Brushes, protection for the floor, tape for the windows and door. Tony, can you fix the lamp later?"  
"Sure. Your father-in-law doesn't want anybody in the kitchen. I offered my help."  
"Are you surprised? He never wants any help."  
"Horrible. Do you need some help, Stephen?"  
"Not with the walls, but with the furniture."  
"He needs excuses why he can't stay the whole day in front of his computer and do his work." Sara chuckled.  
"Shush!" Tony left to get more upstairs. Don and Tanya came up the stairs with a big parcel. The bed.   
"Did you choose a king size stone bed?" Don asked.   
"No, a queen size wood bed. Sorry."  
"No hay de que." Tanya said. "Vamos, todavía tenemos mas en el coche."   
"Oh dear, private Spanish lessons."  
"Espanol, por favor."  
"Lo siento…uhm…sí voy…"  
"Vengo."  
"Vengo, right."   
"I'm glad I don't have to learn another language anymore. Especially not on a Saturday." Sara said and took the parcel out of Sofia's hands. The blonde wasn't supposed to carry anything, at least not anything heavy and in Sara's eyes, the parcel was way too heavy for. 

Four hours later the walls were green, the bed build up and so was the wardrobe and a book shelf. With the help of Sara, Sofia and Marie all the furniture they bought today, was ready to use.   
"Wow, that was a great workout. Now, the last part of it. Where would like to have your furniture, Steve?" Sara asked.   
"The bed under the window, I can't put much there anything high because of the pitched roof. The wardrobe opposite the door and the shelf next to it."  
"Okay. The next time we get you a desk, a sideboard and what else you need. Are the beddings, pillows and sheets still in the bag?" Sara asked.   
"Yes. I should leave them there until the paint is dry…or, the window is open, I can put it inside too."  
"Leave them to Sofia, we take the furniture." Beside the wardrobe they build up everything in the other empty room so Stephen had space for painting.   
"What about decoration? Did you get some nice poster?" The blonde asked.   
"No, we only got the most important things. Careful with your hand." He stopped to give Sara time to get her hand out of the space between the doorframe and the bed.   
"We buy him a few dozen coke cans and he can build pyramids with them in the room, it's a kind of decoration." Marie said.   
"No, too dangerous for you, mom."   
Marie gave Sofia the evil eyes. "You should be careful, you made yourself already not very popular."  
"Always remember, there's your second grandchild inside me. Be nice, Jamie hears everything. Don't scare your grandchild. Or Jamie will run away from you instead of towards you."  
"Just because you're pregnant it doesn't mean I don't spank your backside if you deserve it."  
"Oh mom." Sofia laughed and hugged her mother. "Stop being grumpy or I make you drunk. You don't spank my backside, you never did. Not your style, you know better ways to punish people. Wait, let me help you."  
"Don't you dare to touch the shelf, that's too heavy for you!"   
"It's only a shelf."  
"Don't touch it! I kick your ass!"   
"Boah, what am I supposed to do? Carry a few feathers?"  
"For example."   
"I go downstairs, see if I can help dad or start the barbecue…if not Don did that already. The smoke could be bad for me…gosh, I'm pregnant and not sick…" Complaining the blonde went downstairs.   
"Not very sensible your new mother. Not like your grandmother."  
Stephen smiled. "I can understand her and I understand you and Sara. The three months are over, you're on safe side now, right?"  
"Not on the safe side, but a miscarriage isn't that likely anymore. Still, when anything happens, Jamie isn't developed enough to survive. We have to cross our fingers for a few more weeks…months. Do you want a brother or a sister?"  
"A sister. I had enough brothers in the children's home."  
"As the big brother you'll be her hero, no matter what you do. She'll tell everybody how cool her brother is, what he can do - everything - and how much she adores him. And, like any other younger sibling, your room will be hers too. With Sara's godchild and Sofia's future godchild around, plus Jorja, this will be a busy place."  
"Good excuses not to learn."  
"Forget it, you know the school rule." Sara blinked at him.   
"Yeah, highest priority is school, I know. But think family is more important than school."  
"Nothing is as important as family, that goes without a saying. Nevertheless, your grandmother will control your homework, she'll be here when you come home from school. Scared?"  
"No, I have prison guards waiting for me at the moment, a grandmother waits with cookies for you, not with sticks."  
"You bring home a F and she'll get the sticks out…or the electro shocker."   
"Not scared."  
"Good." Sara looked at the room. "You think you can feel comfortable here? Like home?"  
"Absolutely. My mothers are around, I've my own room…I can't remember the last time I had my own room. Can I have a computer in here? Or a laptop?"   
"Sure, you need one for school. We have the expert in the house, talk to Tony, he can get you a good one. You get a TV too. Don has his old one, if you like it, you can keep it. And we get you a cell phone, as your mothers, we want to be able to call you all the time, make sure you're all right."  
"Check if I don't do anything wrong."  
"No, we trust you." She pulled him in her arms. "I hope you like it here, we're really happy you want to be with us."  
"Sara, you want me, it's the first time anybody wants me. All the others saw me as a burden. I got sent to them, they never came forward and wanted me."   
"We both want you."  
"How long did you think and about it?"  
"To me it was obvious pretty soon, when I was sure I wanted you in our family, I told Sofia and we decided, we want to spend time with you, to see if you and her get along. The burger meeting was a good excuse. We could spend time with you, she got her fast food and I had both of you around. It didn't take long for her to realize you fit perfectly to us and then we asked you. You can say, last Saturday was the final test. You passed summa cum laude."  
"What? Is that Spanish too?"  
"No, Latin. Means, you scored highest points. Better wasn't possible."  
"Cool…I need to remember that…summa cum laude. Lets see if I can get a test back home, that says I did it summa cum laude. Full points."  
"I'm sure you can do that. Want to be a little bit alone in your room, get a feeling for it or join me downstairs?"  
"Downstairs. I'll be in the room tonight. First night in such a big bed. Alone in a room."  
"Want a teddy bear?"  
"No! I'm not a baby anymore!"  
"Neither is Sofia, she has a teddy bear on her nightstand. Sometimes in bed, when I work late and she doesn't want to be alone in bed. Did you ever have a stuffed animal?"  
"No."  
"What's your favorite animal?"  
"I don't know…I like Scooby and Rantanplan."  
"They are cool, aren't they? The first time when Greg came over from Vegas and hugged me, they jumped at him so he had to stay away. The only one, who allowed to hug me, was Sofia."  
"They're good with the babies."  
"Yes, when they get annoyed from being a pillow or a hill to climb up, they get up and walk away."  
"Can I take them out for walks?"  
"As often as you like."  
"Cool. I always wanted a pet, now I've two dogs."  
"You get everything in double here."  
"Double dessert?" He grinned.   
"I'm afraid you can be happy when you get dessert at all, Sofia will be very fast and have it all to herself. And Jamie. Jamie will be her excuse."  
"When she's very pregnant and can't move that fast anymore, we get the dessert. Or we hide it on the top shelf, she can't reach without a chair. Pregnant women aren't allowed to climb on chairs."  
"This pregnant woman will climb on every chair to get the chocolate, believe me." Sara laughed. She had no doubt her lover would find a way to get her chocolate. If not, the blonde was seriously ill. 

"Oh my goodness, she's walking!" Sofia starred at Jorja, who made a few steps, hold by her mother.   
"Yes, only four or five steps but she's getting there. Nine months and she starts walking. Give her another month and she can make her first steps alone." Jules put her daughter back on her arms. "I wonder if she does it because she's so smart or because she wants to run away from Greg and me."  
"She wants to get you breakfast to bed."  
"Nice theory. How is Jamie?"  
"Fine, we had quite a lot of work this week, but took enough breaks."  
"Jamie made her take breaks, she had no other choice." Greg smiled and lifted Eric up. "You don't want to walk, my son? No? You prefer when we carry you around? Smart decision. You have to walk around for the rest of your life, enjoy the time you get carried around. And don't worry when your sister is faster with everything, you have all the time in the world. Your godmother carries you as long as you want."  
"Not as long as he wants, but as long as I can. We will rearrange your room Eric, the next time you sleep here, you have a new room. Jamie will move into your bed and you will get new beds. Well, after Jamie is born, until then you can stay in the beds we have. Do you think he and Jorja can sleep in an ordinary bed from next spring?"  
"Not if you want them to stay in bed. By the time they can walk and will end up wherever if you don't make sure, they stay in bed. For that some bars are the best solution."   
"True. We work something out, the next months we don't need a bed for Jamie, Sofia is the best bed. I like to sleep on her too. Use her as my pillow."  
"We need to get a third bed too. And prepare a room. Care for some decoration and renovation of a baby room? For the last time."  
"The last time? Come on, that's what you say now, in a year or so Jules will be pregnant again and you have four kids."  
"No. This is really the last one. And to make sure the pill doesn't let us down another time, I'll talk to my doctor and let him handle the problem. Apparently the cut doesn't hurt, to me it sounds very painful."  
"Sterilization? Really?"  
"Sara, three kids. I can't afford more, not if I want them to have a good life, offer them a few things. Three kids are the limit and before we end up with a fourth kid, we do something against it. A sterilization is easier for a man than a woman."  
"No more babies…you are serious. Mhm, what a pity. They look so cute. Your and Jules's DNA fits so great together. Look at this gorgeous young man." Sara took Eric in her arms. "You are such a beautiful boy, will break so many hearts. I bet in a few years they want you as a model. Maybe your parents get you an agent and you'll be on poster."  
"Uhm, no. We won't be one of these parents, who tell the world, their child want to work like an adult, be a model and all those things, when in reality they want it, the children have to make the dreams of the parents come true."  
"And when one of them really wants to be a model? Or an actress/actor? This is Los Angeles, the chances are higher here."  
"If they go to kindergarten or school, like theater and want to do the same in front of a camera, we can talk about it. First they can use their talent in school, there won't be a casting for a TV show before they had their casting for kindergarten."  
"They need a casting for kindergarten?" Sara furrowed her brows.  
"No, I was just making a point."  
"Ah, okay. Don't confuse me. Parents stuff is new to me."  
"For that your son is quite big."   
"He is, isn't he? And he's getting another Spanish lesson." She looked at Stephen, who was with Tanya, preparing some tapas. It was easier to learn words when you could eat what you said.   
"What do your in-laws say about him?"  
"They're happy with our decision. Marie knew him and Mark likes him for what he did to his wife. Somehow everybody is amused because the Captain got knocked out. I was scared to death when she went down."  
"I can imagine like I can understand why the rest is amused. Look, another guest is coming." The dogs started barking and were on their way in the house.   
"We're too lazy to get up, let somebody else open the door. You can sleep in tomorrow?"  
"I've got tomorrow off. A whole day for my family. We're invite to dinner at my in-laws place. Might use the afternoon for a nice walk around Griffith Park. Next year the kids can go in the zoo, right now they're too small, don't understand what they see."  
"Poor animals caged."  
"You stay here when we go, you spoil the fun."  
"Most cages are too small and there's no point in locking animals away, let them live in the wild, where they belong."  
"Unfortunately too many idiots like to shoot them, if you want your child to see a tiger alive, we need to keep zoos."  
"Yeah, I'm not happy about it."  
"Sometimes we can't change things…wow…do I need glasses or is that really a movie star? The same one I saw in the lab a while ago."  
Sara looked up. "Lou Lee, yes, Sofia invited him." Her voice was bored. She had met this guy before, no reason to make a fuss about him. And when he hit on her lover, she'd hit him.   
"Hello lieutenant, how are you?" Lou Lee said.   
"Wow! Lou Lee!" Jules starred at the actor.  
"You really kept your promise, I'm impressed. And no security." Sofia grinned.   
"The lady, who opened the door, seemed to be the perfect security. I doubt anybody will get inside here without her permission."  
"My mother. You better call her Captain."  
"Beauty runs in the family."  
"Suck it up, she's the one drooling at you." The blonde pointed at the therapist next to her.   
"Another beautiful woman. Your cousin?"  
"A friend. Jules say hello to Lou, Lou catch Jules if she loses consciousness."   
"Wow, you look even better live than in cinema. Thanks for the tickets to your premiere."  
"You're welcome even when they were for Sofia."  
"Sorry, I got her twins for the tickets, seemed a good deal for me and as I found out, it was the deal ever. Now she's pregnant and when I calculate correct, your movie might have something to do with it." Sofia grinned. She had calculated the time back and ended with early June, the time when Jules and Greg were at the premiere and away for the weekend.  
"Maybe." Jules grinned.   
"Wow, that means, you're pregnant with my child?"  
"No, it's definitely the child of my fiancé."  
"Yeah, but my movie was the reason why you could get pregnant. Cool. I had no idea my movies could influence people so much. Does that qualify me as a godfather?"  
"Absolutely!"   
"Uhm, don't you have to talk about it with Greg?" Sofia said carefully. What happened to, they had to discuss everything? Mad decisions together.   
"When my child has the chance to have Lou Lee as godfather, I take it, no matter what Greg says. You're his pick, he's mine."  
"That doesn't sound like I'm a good choice."  
"Lieutenant, you're the best choice and I'm sure, we'll be a great couple. Godparents couple of course. I hope your beautiful girlfriend isn't on her way to get her guns."   
"Oh my god! He's real!" Tanya stood behind Lou Lee and stared at him, Stephen next to her. "Do you see it, Stephen, he's real. The real Lou Lee, not a double. Oh my goodness."  
"Hello beautiful lady."  
"Oh, oh, he called me beautiful."  
"Your sister, dude?"   
"Uhm…uhm…wow…dude…"  
"Great, you appear and people stop talking in complete sentences and lost their brains." Sofia laughed. "When I see these three, I've to say, I was pretty cool when you hit on me in the bar. And I was a single. On the paper."  
"You were very cool. And your better half, who wasn't your better half at that time, was ice cold. Almost killed me with her eyes."  
"She became my better half that night. And she's always the coolest. Like now, she doesn't even bother to get up and say hello while others are close to faint. Tanya, Lou is here for the barbecue, not for you and you're taken. I guess your boyfriend gets his gun already. Lou, that's my son, Stephen."  
"Your son? Seriously? I thought you're pregnant…that was fast."  
"She wants to adopt me."  
"Makes you my son, just like the baby is my child. No difference. Both seems to be big fans, I knew Tanya is, she asked me to invite her, basically it's her fault you're here."  
"So I've to thank you…I'd kiss you but Sofia mentioned a boyfriend with a gun and I don't have my guns with me, left them at the set. Plus Sofia's girlfriend might have her gun too. Double kill."  
"I protect you." Tanya sighed.   
"You're a hero, you don't need guns. Like in Rough Action, when you punched the crap out of the guys, who all had knives. You're the greatest." Stephen said with shinning eyes. A real movie star. A cool one. An action hero.   
"You saw Rough Action?"  
"Around four dozen times, it's the best movie ever."   
"We shoot a third part."  
"Really?"  
"Yes. It will be in cinemas for Christmas. Want to come along one day with your mother? Mothers? Watch all three movies together. I have a lot of popcorn, potato chips and candies at my place."  
"Sure…I mean…if that's okay with you." Stephen looked at Sofia.   
"No problem for me and Sara can't deny a wish you make. He said chocolate, I'll be wherever chocolate is. Maybe we can take a photo of you and Lou, the first decoration for your room. Or you take it with you to the children's home it will make you the king."  
"No, they'll take it away, everybody wants such a photo."  
"I must be popular." Lou grinned.   
"You know you're the most popular actor, don't play the shy one." Sofia said.   
"And yet, I never had a chance to get into your heart."  
"You'll get over me at one point. Oh, there's Sally, I bet she's the next one, who will squeak because of you."  
"I make women happy."   
"And I get you a beer. Jamie, why don't you join me, get my camera and use the fact we have a movie star here. It's a party, we take photos and he'll be on them."   
"A party with Lou Lee. That's sooo cool." Stephen followed Sofia into the house to get the camera. If he took a few photo, got them printed, he could show the boys in the children's home why his mothers were the best. Some of them made fun of Sara and Sofia, about their love, after they saw these photo, they wouldn't make jokes anymore. 

"Our movie guest is the star of the evening." Sara said when she sat next to Sofia on the bench with her salad.   
"To me, the star of the evening is you." The blonde kissed her lover. "Twelve weeks."  
"Yes, twelve weeks. Finally. On the next ultrasound picture we should recognize more. Do you feel a difference?"  
"My pants get tight, I guess I've to get back to the old ones, the bigger ones I used after the accident. All the pounds I lost will come back, so I can use these pants again. Your smart girlfriend kept them, knowing one day she needs them for a happy occasion. Our first baby. The best reason to put on some weight and with a girlfriend, who doesn't mind when I turn into a whale, I can relax."  
"You won't be a whale, you'll have a few pounds more and I love every inch of you."  
"I don't need Lou to comfort me?"  
"He gets close to you and I let Don shoot him. He's not happy about his girlfriend getting all teeny because of the guy. Neither was Greg when he found out, Jules decided Lou will be the godfather. Or how amazed his fiancé is by this man."  
"He's damn good looking, his movies are cool and for a famous movie star, he's quite down to earth. I never thought he'd really come around. We read so much about movie stars, who are absolutely out of touch with reality, he sits in our garden, drinks beer, eats salad and steaks from a paper plate, talks with everybody and doesn't mind signing photos for Stephen."   
"I bet Tony is the second biggest hero of our son. His real photo paper got him four huge signed and dedicated photos and two small ones. Plus the two for Jules and Tanya. How comes you don't get one?"  
"I don't need one, I've got his cell phone number, when I want something, I can call. Plus, we share a godchild. Means, when it's Aaron's birthday, he has to be there."  
"Which makes you happy."  
"Like it would make me happy when we get another set of premiere tickets, this time for us. From what Greg and Jules told us, it's interesting and I'd like to experience it too. We can take our son with us, he'd be over the moon."  
"Yeah, now he knows why he agreed in getting adopted by us."  
"Because we're the best parents he can get. Such a wonderful mother, who saw right away, he's special." Sofia kissed Sara softly. "I'm glad he decided to stay, take his second chance and I'm glad we decided we want him. We should have done that earlier."  
"It's a big decision, we needed some time to decide."  
"In the end we made the right decision. Tomorrow, we should buy some frames for his photos, his first decoration. And a big one, he gets a signed poster of Rough Action."  
"What about a life sized Lou Lee cut out poster?"  
"If he wants it, we get it. Right?"  
"Right. Whatever makes our son happy. If it's a movie star, well, fine with me."  
"You prefer him being happy about Lou than me." The blonde grinned.   
"If you want a life sized Lou Lee poster in the bedroom, you can have the room for yourself and might become a single again."  
"Good to know."  
"Want to be single again?"  
"Actually I prefer the opposite. Want some more salad?"  
"No, I want a kiss."  
"Sorry, they come only in doubles."   
"Better." Sara pulled her lover on her lap, kissed her and kept her in her arms. "I like these garden parties, it's good to have all our friends around. And your parents. Your mother loves to talk to Lynn and Kyle while your father and Kyle's girlfriend have exchanged around a dozen recipes. Sally and Tony are happy about Lou, maybe they get a few good tips, make some connection for future jobs. Don tries hard not to show he likes Lou Lee because Tanya is too happy about him, Greg and Jules are having a few private minutes like us, the twins are in bed, will stay overnight and our son looks like he had always been here."  
"Much better than nightclubs?"  
"Absolutely. Plus, we've a son now, we can't stay away the whole night, dance and drink. We've got responsibilities."  
"I'm afraid when Steve stays here we won't see much of him, he'll be with Don and Tanya all the time, video games."  
"Will we buy him one too?"  
"He can play with Don, there are more important things to buy. Some good books, sport gear. We don't want a geek boy, do we?"  
"What's wrong being a geek, acting supervisor?"  
"Shut up!"  
"Make me shut up." Sara teased.   
"My pleasure." Sofia pulled her lover in and kissed her hard. "One day I make you pay for teasing me all the time."  
"No, you like it too much. I'm sure Jamie laughs too and is happy, his mothers are such cheerful and loving women."  
"And we can celebrate your birthday together."  
"You don't bring that up later, do you?" Sara grumbled.   
"Of course."  
"Honey, it's a barbecue party, it's a welcome party for Stephen, not my party. It's not a special day, just let it go."  
"Your birthday is very special to me, we've been through this. Plus, all the others know it's your birthday, you won't get away without a celebration. And when you decide to go to bed, we all get into our bedroom and celebrate with you in bed."  
"The only one I want in my bed is you."  
"Then stay here and celebrate your birthday with us. Your first birthday with our two kids. One to hug and one…you have to hug by hugging me, which is absolutely fine with me. Use me to show our baby all your love."  
"Our little Jamie…we go shopping the next time we have a day off together, don't we?"  
"Yes. Anything special you want for our baby?"  
"A Finding Nemo bed. All Dory. I love Dory."  
"I thought you love me."  
"This big heart of mine has place for you and Dory." Sara grinned.   
"Sara! Sofia! Lou says I can learn how to swim in his pool!" Stephen ran to them, all excited by the news.   
"Is that so?"  
"Yes. Please. Please can you teach me there?" He looked at Sara.   
"How is that supposed to work?"  
"Quite easy." Lou said. "I let my security know, when you come along, you can use the pool. I'll be in Europe from Monday on for two weeks, after that in Asia to promote the new movie. The house is empty, so is the pool, use it, make him fit for his first surf lesson next year. I've also a nice housekeeper, who can get you some cold drinks and snacks. She's a real angel. For the Lieutenant I've a comfortably hammock, she can watch you from there, make sure you're both safe."  
"You have somebody around all the time?"  
"Of course, security first. I tell them you're invited to use the pool and you can come in without any problems."  
"Please." Stephen repeated. "Pretty please?"  
"Yes, we use the pool. Thanks Lou. It's easier to learn how to swim in a pool than the ocean. Which doesn't mean we go swimming before you're not done with your homework. School is more important than sport, understand?"  
"Of course."   
"I told you, she's after you when it comes to school." Sofia grinned. "Sara is a geek, a school lover and will always ask you, if you're done with your homework."  
"She's right, school is important." Lou said. "Otherwise you have no idea when people try to screw you over. With numbers and words, people can irritate you, when you understand what they say and mean, you can figure out, if they try to use you or really help you."  
"Thanks."  
"I'm on your side, Sara. And when the godchild of the Lieutenant and me is in school, I make sure the marks are good while she takes care of the fun part."  
"Just to remind all of you, I had very good marks at school, it's not like I barely made it through school."   
"When we ask your mother, there'll be many stories about you and not attempting school, I bet." Sara grinned.   
"Leave the Captain out of this. She's not fair."  
"Means, she will say things Sofia doesn't want us to know. I can't wait for the time when she lives here, I can meet my mother-in-law every day, hear interesting stories about my girlfriend and learn, what she did as a kid. All the stories, she doesn't tell me."  
"You and my mother, you're way too close. It was easier when you were afraid of her."  
"A long, long time ago."  
"Sometimes I feel like the whole world works against me."  
"No, we all love you and I love you more than everybody else." Sara blinked at her girlfriend and took her in her arms. Her big family, the family she chose and loved. The best family she could have asked for. 

16th of September Sunday

"Happy birthday, my darling. I love you more than any words can say." Sofia pulled Sara in her arms and kissed. A few seconds after midnight, officially the birthday of her lover, who was the center of attention while everybody sang 'happy birthday', but Sofia was the first to congratulate personally. Of course. She had Sara in her arms since five minutes before midnight, not willing to miss a second of them together on the brunette's birthday.   
"Thanks, I love you too."   
"Your first birthday with our babies, it would be so great if Jamie would kick today, as your personal present, but that's too early. Sorry."  
"You're pregnant with our baby, it's best present ever. Nothing can ever top that."  
"You have not seen what I got you…okay, right, nothing can top Jamie, but I hope you like my presents too."  
"Whatever it is, it's from you so I'll love it."  
"Wait until you see them. But first I let the other talk to you, they want to hug you too…don't let them kiss you, I'm the only one who's allowed to kiss you."  
"Jealousy suits you so much, so sexy." Sara grinned and kissed her lover again before she turned and found herself in Greg's arms.   
"Happy b-day big sis, I love you and I'm so happy we can celebrate your birthday together with good news and happy faces. Love you, love you, love you and will never ever let you leave my life again." He placed a big kiss right on her lips.   
"I don't plan to leave your life, no more running away into other countries. These days are over."  
"Good. I want to see you at least once a week, more often would be better, but we both know, how busy life can get with the jobs. Nevertheless, once a week, or better twice. One time your place, one time my place. Can you promise me this?"  
"Yes."  
"Thanks. Now you can have your present." He handed Sara an envelope.  
Sara opened it and found a letter inside. "Wow!"   
"What is it?" Sofia asked, who couldn't see what was written on the letter. "A holiday trip to Paris?"  
"No, better. A permission to climb Mount Whitney next year. For you and me plus a voucher for two babysitter during this time. Honey, we'll get serious hiking. You better prepare yourself for an overnight hike. Thanks Greg." Sara kissed her best friend. She always wanted to do this hike, he remembered and organized the permission for her and Sofia.   
"It's also Jules's present."  
"Of course." Sara hugged her former therapist. "Did he tell you or did you use your therapy knowledge?"  
"Both. By September next year Sofia will be fit enough to do the hike, we take care of Jamie and Stephen - although I'm sure Stephen will be fine for two or three days without you. He's big boy."  
"Yeah, doesn't need a babysitter but maybe a friend in case something happens. Where is my son? Come here, give your mother a hug."  
"Uhm…I don't your want your parents-in-law…?"  
"Stephen, you're my son! Come here." She came up to meet him halfway. "You're my son, you're my family, you should fight with Sofia for the best position. Remember, there is no difference between you and Jamie, you're both our children and you're equal. I'm as happy to have you as I'm happy about him."  
"Thanks." His face turned deep red.   
"You get used to it, believe me. I had the same problem, didn't believe people could really care for me, but at one point you find out, there are people, who care and love you." She smiled. "No matter what they told you in the children's home, this is your home, your family we love you. No conditions apply."   
"Okay, I try to remember it. Uhm, I couldn't buy you anything special, only this." He gave her a little wrapped box. "Nothing special."  
"It's the first present from my son, it's special." She smiled and opened the parcel. A frame with a dolphin on top surrounded a photo of Sofia and Sara on the beach. If the brunette was right, it was taken last week. "Wow, that's beautiful. Where did you get the photo from?"  
"I asked Jules if she had any nice recent photos of you and Sofia. Now you have a memory of the day on the beach and I got you the photo twice, so you can put one in your locker."  
"You're really sweet, thank you. I need one of you, Sofia and me for the locker too. A family photo."  
"Can I have one for my room too?"  
"Of course. If that's cool for a boy your age."  
"I don't care what the other boys might say or think."  
"You're so much my son." She grinned.   
"Thanks."  
"It's the truth."  
"Sorry to interrupt this mother and son talk, but we want to congratulate you too. Don't forget the rest of your family." Marie complained.   
"Sorry." Sara laughed and hugged Marie. "I needed a minute with my son, it's the first time we celebrate my birthday together. A special day. Good to have you here, I count the days until you move to here and we can meet every day."  
"When we meet every day you'll be happy about the days you don't have to see me. When I don't talk into your way of bringing your children up."  
"You did a good job with Sofia, I trust you. Mark." She hugged her father-in-law. "Thanks for preparing the whole party, you're incredible. Thanks a lot."  
"I love doing these things, you know that. Thanks for having us old people here."   
"You're not old, you're just right."  
"Thanks. Our present will get you and your family to Vegas. We invite you to a long weekend in Vegas with a different show every night. All three of you, so you better clear a long weekend for this trip."  
"Our first family vacation? Cool, thanks. Everybody gives me vacation time or things about vacation."  
"It's what you need, what your family needs. Time to be together, quality time. With the jobs you and Sofia work, quality time is sometimes hard to get."  
"True. A long weekend in Vegas, shows, watching the lights, meeting the old team, that's a nice idea."  
"Meet your in-laws."   
"Always want to meet them."   
"And spend time with the father of your baby." Don pulled Sara in his arms. "Happy birthday my beautiful mother of our child. I'm so glad you came here two years ago, can't imagine a life without you. And because you always told me you want nothing for your birthday, have everything you need, I made you the godmother of a thirteen year old dog, who will stay thanks to you alive. On a farm for old shelter animals." He gave her a certification, saying that her money bought the dog, Puppy, a place on the farm. A place, where he could live in peace, with other dogs and enough space to play and walk for the rest of his life.   
"You saved a dog's life?"  
"You did, it's your name. They'll send you a photo of Puppy every year. Tanya, Sally, Tony, Kyle, Lynn, Dirk, Mandy and me only organized the financial part of it. One dog less that has to fear being killed because it's unwanted. No more cages, loving and caring people. We found out about this place in the internet, looking for something you might want to support."  
"Wow, thanks. The second certification I got from an animal care foundation this year."  
"You love animals, you care for them."  
"And it makes me happier you saved a life in my name than vouchers for cinemas, restaurants or books. Although I love books too, the life of a dog is worth much more." She hugged all of them. An unusual present.   
"I could say my present is, I don't steal your girlfriend, but we both know, she doesn't want anybody than you." Lou grinned. "And you don't like premiere tickets, as I found out, are not into high end restaurants, so I've to come up with something else."  
"Keep the promises you made to Stephen and I'm happy." Sara smiled.   
"Of course. But I get something special for you too. After this evening I've a better idea about you like, so your present will come a little bit delayed."  
"No problem, actually I don't need anything at all."  
"It's a birthday party, you get something. Just later."  
"Okay."   
"And now it's time for the birthday cake, I'd love to smash it into your face and eat from your face, but other people might want some cake too and I don't their lips on you." Sofia said and got the cake on the table.   
"Gosh, the cake is on fire!" Sara looked at all the candles.   
"Blow and make a wish."  
"I need a fan for all these candles." The brunette took a deep breath and blew off the candles. All forty-one. And she made her wish. 

"Don't you want to know what your present is?" Sofia pulled Sara in her arms, kissed her and snuggled into her arms. "Maybe it's the same thing you wished for when you blew off the candles."  
"I don't think so."  
"Why? What was it?"  
"Can't tell you, it's bad luck. Need to wait until I have it."  
"Has it something to do with me?"  
"Can't tell you."  
"Oh, you're a tough one. Okay, want to see my present?"  
"You? Naked in my bed?"  
"You get that as a free bonus later."  
"All I want."  
"Not all you get."  
"Do we have to leave or can I get your present here? Is it family friendly?"  
"After you want the naked in your bed part later, yes." The blonde smirked. "Why don't you sit on my lap?"  
"You're pregnant, you sit on my lap."  
"Okay." Sofia got a bag from under the table and sat on Sara's lap.   
"Hey, you can't get her away from us, if you want private time with her, you have to wait until it's time for bed." Greg complained about the two women hiding in the back of the garden. "We want to celebrate with her."  
"You can be here, I want to give her my present."  
"Shall I cover Stephen's eyes?"  
"Very funny."  
"Isn't it time for your son to go to bed?" Marie asked.   
"Not today, it's Sara's birthday, he can stay awake as long as he wants." Sofia said. "No school tomorrow, no reason to go to bed. Not every mother is as strict as you are."   
"You needed a strong hand, still need it."   
Sofia gave her the evil eyes. "Careful mother, I might not let you see your grandchildren."  
"Your threats have never frightened me. So, what's your present for Sara?"  
"First of all my love, but she gets that anyway." The blonde kissed her lover. "All my love. I've no idea what I'd do without you."  
"Break a lot of hearts, make some hearts happy."   
"You're the only one who makes my heart happy. And, as Don pointed out so nicely, I'm so happy you decided to move in two years ago. I know it was a difficult time for you, but I'm happy it came the way it did. Of course a lot of bad things have happened, but in the end, they got us together and I'm happy to have you. To give us a little overlook about our two years ago, I got you this." She pulled a thick book out of the bag.   
"What's that?"  
"A photo book. With photos from you and me of the last two years. From the motel to here. The last one from our beach day last weekend. Almost a thousand photos and I hope there will be more than a thousand photos of us and our family and friends the next two years."  
"Wow, thanks. We have to look through it together the next time we have a Saturday or Sunday off. Stephen, would you like to join us?"  
"If you want me…I mean, of course mom." He corrected himself.   
"Good son." Sara grinned. "We get a huge pizza, cuddle up on the couch and look photos. Gets you a better understanding of our life the last two years…I see, there are little stories under some photos…I might have to correct them, in case there are lies."  
"I don't lie."  
"Mhm, you expand the truth, which is the same."  
"I will ignore this comment generously and give you your next present."  
"Another one? Why? One is enough."  
"No, it's not." Sofia got a little wrapped box out of the bag.   
"You don't have to get me so many things."  
"No, I don't have to but I enjoy doing it."  
The brunette rolled her eyes and opened the box. A saving box in the size of a suitcase.   
"For our dream vacation. The goal is we put in fifty dollars each month and when it's full, we go on vacation. By the size of it around two thousand dollar can fit in - if we put in fifty dollar notes. But we can put in whatever we want as long as it's fifty dollar a month. Or more when we have money to spare - which I doubt."  
"To where is our dream vacation?"  
"I don't know, we have to dream about it."   
"Jamie and me stay here with our grandparents, but we want postcards, so you better make it a great destination." Stephen said.   
"Who said it's not a family vacation?"  
"Sara, it's your and Sofia's dream vacation, some things parents have to do alone. Sometimes kids don't want to be involved, some things we don't want to see or hear."  
"He's cheeky!" Sara grinned.   
"Our son. Ready for the next one?"  
"A next one? How many things did you buy?"  
"You'll see." Sofia got a new wrapped boy out. A small one this time.   
"Crazy woman." Sara kissed the tip of the nose of her lover. "Okay, lets see what this is." She opened the box and pulled a pendant out. An 'S' made out of stone on a leather strip. "An 'S' for Sofia."  
"Or Sara. Or Stephen. So far we all share the same first letter, which makes it obvious, Jamie's final name will start with 'S' to fit in. And with this you have a part of us with you. Also safety and security."  
"I love you, you're so cute."  
"Got more."  
"No! Stop it!"   
"Too late." The blonde grinned. "It's the birthday of the woman I love, you can't stop me from getting you all I want you to have." She handed her an envelope.   
"Looks like. Your accountant will kill you."  
"I don't give a fuck about him. Sorry Jamie, but you have to get used to this anyway."  
"I'm afraid he or she has." Sara opened the envelope. "Are you serious?"  
"Yes. Tomorrow they're yours."  
"What is it?" Don asked.   
"This crazy woman gave me four kitten."  
"When I walked past the pet shelter they told me they had four new kitten, found them in a dumpster, traumatized, afraid of humans. First I wanted to get her an older cat, but after the dog rescue, I thought we can also make the life of a kitten nice. Well, they're siblings, you can't separate siblings and I took them all four for you. The shelter did the immunization, we have to spray them later. And you're the mommy of four kitten. One for you, one for me, one for Steve, one for Jamie. Or all for us. We can get them tomorrow."  
"Didn't the doctor say cats can be dangerous for you and Jamie?"  
"Only when I don't wash my hands and clean the cat litter box without gloves. Otherwise we can have cats."  
"What will Scooby and Rantanplan say?"  
"They'll get used to them. I'm sure our dogs will be great with cats if we give them all some time. Especially the kitten, after they're traumatized. With all the love we have, we turn them into happy cats."  
"I still worry about your pregnancy, we have to see doctor Blumfield again."  
"Honey, I take care of Jamie and me, don't worry. As long as I wash my hands whenever I touched the cats I'm fine. Start thinking about names, three tom cats and a female."  
"Jim, John, Jimmy, Janis."  
"Uhm…okay." Sofia looked irritated at her lover. That was fast and why these names?  
"Jim Morrison, John Lennon, Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin. After all, I'm a Hippy child."  
"You are? How comes?" Stephen asked.   
"Oh, there are a lot of things you don't know about me, like there are a lot of things I don't know about you, but the good thing is, we've got many years to talk about them."  
"With a cold beer, at the barbecue."  
"Marie, Don, Kyle, Lynn, cover your ears, you don't want to hear this. I don't mind when you have some alcohol on special occasions, like a birthday party, new years eve or so, as long you keep it to glass or two. So if we sit here, have a barbecue, you want to have a beer, share a beer with Sofia or me, it's fine with me. I prefer you drinking here than somewhere else and stumbling back home drunk. Or worse, drive back home."  
"So far beer isn't something I like, haven't tried the rest, money is short in prison."  
"You can try sparkling wine or champagne on new years eve…if we have it. Last year we had beer because neither Sofia nor me are really into bubble alcohol."  
"This year we're pregnant and we will drink juice."   
"We?"  
"We're a family, right? So we're pregnant and don't drink alcohol." Stephen smiled.   
"Told you, he's the best son we could get." Sara snuggled into Sofia's arms.   
"Yes, he's a lot like you. Want another present?"  
"No, I've got enough,"  
"Too bad, I've more."  
"How many more?"  
"One for here." All the other little presents she had for Sara had to wait until they were alone. And Sofia looked forward to this time, to celebrate with her lover alone. There were so many things she wanted to give her.   
"All right."  
"Other people are more enthusiastic when they get presents."  
"I'm not other people."  
"No, you're the woman I love. Here's your present." Sofia handed her lover another envelope.   
"Another kitten?"  
"Or a puppy?"  
"We have two dogs and not enough time for them…well, it doesn't matter what I say, you organized it anyway." Sara opened the envelope. "Okay…you have to hold my hand."  
"Ditto."  
"What is it?" Mark asked.   
"Sofia and me will get on all three carousels on the Stratosphere Tower. A big fear I haven't conquered so far. Looks like the next time I will. Or when Sofia isn't pregnant anymore and we're in Vegas. Why, Honey?"  
"We can fight our fears."   
"Great I'm glad your parents are there, Marie, Mark, will you take care of our kids? In case we die up there?"  
"Sure but you won't die." Mark smiled.   
"Have been up there?"  
"Several times, these carousels are fun."  
"Fun? I'm not sure about that."  
"Keep an open mind, close your eyes and you will love it."   
"I like the closed eyes part."  
"Nah, you're not a coward, are you?"  
"No, only not crazy. Nine hundred feet above the road is not the place I belong. On a piece of metal that might break because it's old."  
"Adds to the thrill."  
"Great. But I will do it. With my Lieutenant by my side, holding my hand." Sara smiled. With Sofia she'd go through this. Carousels on top of the Stratosphere tower, her lover had strange ideas sometimes. 

Sofia put her head on Sara's shoulder and snuggled into her arms. What a nice evening and night. All her friends, her family were around, she had the love of her life in her arms, danced with her to a song from the radio. What else could she asked for? This was perfect, it was how she always wanted life to be. Why couldn't life be like this every day? Easy, wonderful, perfect, the way she wanted it to be.   
"It's the first time we celebrate your birthday together." Sara said, kissed the cheek of her lover.   
"Yeah, we weren't very lucky with our birthdays. You missed mine by a day, when we met here for the first time. Then we had other things on our mind when it was your birthday. The next year…I had the accident and we had our minds on that for both birthdays."   
"And this year we were busy with the baby, had only time for a little dinner because somebody didn't want to celebrate until we're pregnant and sure we'll keep the baby." Sara smiled and put her hand on the blonde's belly. "Now we are sure."  
"I think I'm absolutely happy right now." She whispered into Sara's ear, kissing the earlobe. "Everything is perfect, the way I always wanted it to be."  
"Is it?"  
"Yes. My family and friends are around, I'm in the arms of the one I love more than my life and there are no reasons to worry about anything. I love you, you love me, the world can't get better."  
"It can always get better." Sara kissed the earlobe of her lover.   
"How? How can this get better?"  
"What does your imagination tell you?"  
"It tells me, this is perfect and later, we'll have perfect sex."  
"Nothing to top this? Top your life?"  
"No. We're in love, we will have a son, who is a great boy, soon, are pregnant and I can't think of anything else to wish for. Or did I miss something?"  
"Can't tell you if there's something missing in your life."  
"Is there something missing in your life?"  
"Yes. Or lets say, there's something that could make it better."   
"What is it?" How could their life possible be better? It was perfect. As perfect as it could be when they kept their wishes realistic.   
"Oh well…you know, just a little something."  
"A little something like what?"  
"You."  
"Me? I'm all yours."  
"Are you?"  
"Of course, you know that."  
"Can you promise?"  
Sofia furrowed her brows and looked irritated at her lover. "What are you talking about?" Something was going on, she could feel it. What was it? Did anything happen? Did she miss something? Did she do something wrong? What did her lover mean with, if she can promise her to be all hers?   
Sara got up, got something out of her pocket and dropped on her knees. A smile on her face, a small box in her hands. And then everything made sense to Sofia.   
"Ohmygod!"   
Sara opened the box a golden ring appeared. "Sofia, I love you more than I love my life. Will you marry me?"  
It was real, wasn't it? She didn't dream this, did she? No, no, it was real, she wasn't asleep, she wasn't drunk, this was all real. Her girlfriend, Sara, the love of her life, asked her to marry her. She popped the question. This was almost too good to be true.   
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Of course, what a question. The blonde got on her knees, pulled her lover into her arms and kissed her passionately. Of course she wanted to marry Sara. Who else? This was a dream came true. This made their life better, no matter how good it was before, with Sara asking her to marry her, it was better.   
"I absolutely want to marry you, Sara. There's nothing in the world I want more than being your wife, having you as my wife. I love you so much." And she cried so much. Tears ran down her face like rain. Great. The most beautiful woman in the world asked her to marry her and she cried like a baby. Bloody hormones.   
"I love you too and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know I said I ask you when we're allowed to get married, but I don't want to wait with my promise until some people, who have no clue about true love, decided we're officially allowed to love and marry each other. My love for you has nothing to do with the law, so I don't wait until the law decides what's right or wrong because you are right for me." Sara took Sofia's left hand and put the ring on her finger. With a smile she looked at the ring and the finger. Fit perfect. Perfect like their love.   
"Where is your ring? Did you get one for you too or can I go and buy one?"  
"I was sure you want to choose one for me, so I got only one."  
"Perfect. Guess who will be in the jewelry district tomorrow."  
"Do me a favor, choose a ring I can wear while I work. I want to wear your ring as much as possible. Your ring." Sara's finger stroke the ring and the finger. "Should fit under your gloves, you can wear it when you work. If there is a case you have to take off your ring, I bought you a golden necklace, you can leave the ring on it while you work, carry it above your heart."  
"Never apart." Sofia whispered.   
"Like us. Never apart."  
"I think I felt Jamie doing the happy dance and yelling yes, yes, yes."  
"It's what I did inside. This is the best birthday present I ever got. You want to marry me, it doesn't get better."  
"It does, when we get married on your birthday."  
"Or on your birthday?"  
"Doesn't matter as long as we get married. And we will, I've the prove of it." The blonde smiled at her ring. Her engagement ring. She would marry Sara, would become her wife. Life could be so perfect.   
"Is this what it looks like?" Greg asked.   
"Depends. How does it look like?" Sara answered, her eyes still on Sofia. They were still kneeing on the ground.   
"Well, you're both on your knees, you look way too happy to be sick, besides you both didn't drink any alcohol. Plus there's a new ring on Sofia's hand, a ring that looks a lot like an engagement ring and the smile on both of your face tells me, you are talking about something very, very nice. Did you ask her to marry you, Sofia?"  
"No."  
"Not?"  
"No. She asked me." Which was even better. It was great to ask somebody to marry, but being asked made everything more special. At least for Sofia.   
"Seriously? Wow."  
"I love this woman, there's no way I let anybody else marry her." Sara smiled.   
"There's no way I marry anybody else than you."   
"Get up on your feet, I want to hug and kiss you both and it looks strange when we all stand on our knees while we do that." Greg got his hands under their armpits and pulled them up and in his arms. "You will get married. This is so great. When? Where? Am I invited? Bullshit, I will be the best man, of course I'm invited."  
"No, I don't want you standing in the front with the rings, waiting for us, we've got kids who can do that. I want you in the back with me, walking me down the aisle." Sara smiled and kissed her best friend. "Can you do that?" She didn't have a father to walk her down the aisle and even when her father would be alive, she didn't want him or anybody from her San Francisco family around. Not for the birth of her child and not for the wedding. Greg was the perfect choice to walk her down the aisle.   
"Absolutely. Wow. Thanks." Walk his best friend down the aisle was more special than being the best man.   
"What are you celebrating?" Mark asked.   
Sofia lifted her left hand and her father dropped the glass, he had in his hands. "Holly shit. Is that an engagement ring?"  
"Most definitely yes."   
"Oh my god. My baby is engaged." He pulled first Sofia then Sara in his arms. "That's a great surprise. Who planed it?"  
"Sara did. She asked me. Of course I said yes."  
"Of course you did. If you had said anything else I had punched the crap out of you until you can think again. This woman is the best what ever happened to you, we tell you this since we met her the first time, never let her go, make her stay forever, she's the right one. I'm glad you decided to listen to us. For once."  
"Don't sound like mom!"   
"Sorry Honey. Thanks Sara for asking my daughter to marry you. I'm glad the right one asked her."  
Sara laughed. "I more or less told her months ago I will ask her when we're allowed to get married because she said something about me not popping the question. But then I decided I don't want to wait until the government agrees with our love. Sure, legally we can't married but we can be engaged, wear the rings and show the world how much we are in love."  
"And you have to live in the right proportion for your family. A judge gives you Stephen faster when he or she sees, you're serious about your relationship."  
"With your wife we get him in world record time. I'm sure mom knows a few judges in L.A. or knows people, who know them."  
"I do, I do." Marie smiled. "And when I get included in your little celebration I might call one or two of them."  
"That's a fair deal." Sara practically jumped into the arms of her mother-in-law. "I'll be your daughter-in-law, Marie. The ring says so, you have to live with me, I won't let Sofia out of this. No way back."  
"Good, I won't let her or you change your mind. Like my husband said, we want you and her together since the first time you came to Vegas, all scared. Glad you didn't let me scare you away, not that Sofia had let me do that."  
"She told you off for scaring me. My personal heroine."  
"You're meant for each other. Stephen, come here, your mothers just got engaged. You get a proper family - well, as proper as it can be with these two women." Marie pulled Stephen in their middle.   
"Congratulation." He smiled at his new mothers.   
"Thanks. You know what that means?" Sofia kissed him.   
"What?"  
"When we get married, you have to hold one ring while Jamie has the other one."  
His face turned white. "What? Why?"  
"You are our son, we want you and Jamie involved in our wedding."  
"I look ridiculous in a monkey suit."  
"You will look great and maybe we won't get married in a church or a city hall but on a beach. Then you can wear shorts and shades. Does this sound better?"  
"Much better. Does it sound better to you?"  
"Absolutely. I prefer my wife in a bikini than a dress. A dress hides too much of her skin."  
"Honey, if we get married on a beach, which I can agree on, we will wear a white wedding dress. I want to see you in a white wedding dress."  
"So do I!" Marie supported Sara. "Stephen can wear shorts and shades, but you will wear a proper white wedding dress, the way a bride is supposed to look."  
"A bride is supposed to marry a groom, it's not an usual wedding."  
"A bride is supposed to marry the one she loves, no matter if another bride or a groom. You get married in white, a white wedding dress. Like it or not."  
"Why am I not allowed to decide what I wear on my own wedding?"  
"Because if you don't wear a white wedding dress you will break the heart of your bride. Do you want that?" Sara looked at her lover with puppy eyes.   
"Emotional blackmailing. I thought you're not that into these things and now I've to find out, you want them. All right, all right, we get married in white wedding dresses. Hawaii? Florida?"  
"Doesn't matter. As long as California doesn't recognize our wedding, we can get married wherever we want and they don't care. Marie, can't you do anything against that?"  
"I'm sorry Honey, even my power has limits. This is one. Unfortunately." The Captain sighed.   
"Oh well, we can get married twice. One time for us, one time for the state. Like the idea, Darling?" Sara kissed Sofia.   
"I do. If I get one wedding in shorts and shades on the beach and one with your white dress, which would be the state one. And no, that doesn't mean I hope the state doesn't legalizes same sex marriages so I can get around the white dress. The idea of you in a white dress appeals to me. A lot. Especially when I can take it off later."  
"Gives us the chance of having two honeymoons."  
"True. I like that." Twice the chance to have honeymoon with her girlfriend, no, fiancé. From now on Sara was her fiancé, not her girlfriend anymore. The ring on her fingers felt good, it felt very good. And right. This was the right thing to do. 

If Sara was a cat she would purr now. Sofia's hands on her side, stroking her skin, the lips of the blonde in her neck, kissing her gently, the best way to wake up. There was nothing between them, their skin touched each other, covered by sheets. The sunshine told her it was late morning, maybe already noon, she had no idea how long they slept. It was around three when they went into bed, four before they slept, hopefully the dogs were okay, but she hadn't heard them, so somebody must have let them out. Giving them a few extra minutes or hours as a birthday and engagement present.   
"Watching you waking up is the most beautiful thing I ever saw." Sofia said. "And you slept with a smile on your face. What did you dream?"  
"You, me, an island, our wedding, you in a white wedding dress, sex on the beach - not to drink, long vacation, two happy and healthy kids, our family and friends, a big party."  
"Sounds like a nice dream, a dream we should make come true."  
"Absolutely. What time is?"  
"Time to get up and continue celebrating your birthday with a birthday brunch. It's eleven, we can have a shower and by then my father will have prepared something. He and mom are awake, so are Jules, Greg and the kids. I haven't heard Stephen, but I think he's still asleep, the first night in his new room, his new bed, his new home."  
"His mothers are engaged now."  
"Yes. He looked happy yesterday, the whole evening and it seems like he went on with everybody. Which is good, we'll have a lot of more of these parties."  
"It's the party place."  
"Responsible parties, no neighbor ever complained." The blonde kicked the sheets away. "I could go for a breakfast in bed, but our bed isn't big enough for the whole gang and they will insist on having breakfast with you. Lets have a shower and meet the rest."  
"Honey, when we share a shower now, it will take longer than when you use one bathroom and I the other." Sara grinned. "No fast way to your brunch."   
"I'm so in for shower sex. It's part of every good birthday celebration."  
"Good, it's exactly what you will get."

"I thought you won't get up at all." Don grinned when Sara and Sofia went into the kitchen. "How long did your party last? I bet longer then three a.m., when we all went to bed."  
"None of your business. Some things aren't to share." Sara hugged him. "It's great you have the day off."  
"My boss wasn't happy but I had a damn good reason. The birthday of the mother of my child. I bet Jamie is your favorite present of the evening, plus it's 'wrapped up' really nice."   
Sara laughed. Yes, her lover was a nice 'box' for her present.   
"You can see my belly, the baby belly, not a chocolate belly. Well, I barely touched chocolate the last months."  
"Uhm, there might be a difference between what you call barely touched it and what I call it. A couple of bars."  
"I've the same definition you have." Don supported Sara. "The thing is, Sofia has another definition, so in her world she's right, in our she's wrong. The good thing is, we're all so open-minded and friendly, we accept both worlds."  
"Thanks." The blonde kissed his cheek. "There, can you feel your baby?" She placed his hand on her belly. "Somewhere there is our baby, still very small but from next week on, it will use all the power to grow and soon I look like I ate a balloon and not a chocolate bar. Then you won't see me too often at crime scenes, when I can't bend down anymore and need to sit all the time. Lab time. Sounds horrible at the moment, when Jamie needs more space and I can barely move, it will be the best solution. Trains me with paperwork."  
"You can go home on time, no overtime, more time with your…fiancé." Sara smiled. She almost said girlfriend. Of course she was still the blonde's girlfriend, but she was also, and that was much better, her fiancé."  
"Talking about engagement, we need to go shopping, you need a ring on your finger."  
"Not we go shopping, you go shopping. It's your decision how my ring looks, you have to surprise me."  
"You only try to get away with not shopping."  
"It's my birthday, I don't want to go shopping."  
"Okay, do you want your ring today or is tomorrow okay too?"  
"I rather have you with me today than gone for hours to buy a ring. It's not like I will leave you because I don't have a ring. I'm yours, I love you and my love won't get bigger with a ring. The ring is only to show all the other people, I'm taken, nobody can have me except my fiancé and there won't be a time, when I'm available again because I'll marry her. This time my engagement will end in a marriage and not in a break-up."  
"That's what I hope. Well, I won't let you leave the country without me by your side, there's no way I let work or anything else get between us. Grissom was a stupid man to let you go, I'm happy he was so stupid, makes me the lucky one, the one who is with you now. If you want to go to South America, Australia or India, I'm with you. I don't care where we are as long as we are together. Did I make my point?"  
"Yes." Sara pulled Sofia in her arms and kissed her. She got the point of her lover, it was clear. There was nothing in the world, that could get between them.   
"Moms, behave like adults, not like teenagers" Stephen came with the dogs in the kitchen.   
"It's called love, son." Sara said and hugged Stephen.   
"True love." Sofia hugged her dogs, who were all over her, like they hadn't seen each others for days.   
"How was your first night in the new room? The new bed?"  
"Great. It's cool to have so much space in bed and be alone in the room. And my new decoration is wow. I can't believe Lou Lee was really here last night. He's so cool, even cooler than in his movies. Did he really hit on you, Sofia?"  
"Yes, while I waited for Sara, who was stuck in traffic. Lou joined me at the bar of the restaurant. At that time I was younger, sexier, in better shape, had both legs and…"  
"Shut up, you're still sex and stunning, he still drools at you. Knowing he can't get you, but I'm sure if you were available, he would take the chance." Sara interrupted her lover. "His bad luck you won't be available anymore."  
"Exactly, my moms stay together, I don't want to be a divorce child. Neither does Jamie."  
"Don't worry, we won't get divorced. I love this woman too much." Sara blinked at Sofia.   
"Like you guys, you love me too, don't you? Oh, come on, I have a treat for you. Do you want a bone? Or something else? Shall I start the barbecue? Do you want a steak? Yes, you want a steak, I can see it. Your mommy bought steaks for you, come on, we get started. Kiss, please." She offered her cheek to Sara, who kissed her. "You too." She said to Stephen.   
"Sure mom." He kissed Sofia's cheek. "You too, mom Sara?"  
"Of course my dear." Sara kissed him. "Do you need anything for next week? Shall we go shopping while Sofia starts the barbecue? Anything you need in your room for your next stay? We will talk to your director tomorrow, if it's possible we would like you to stay over during the weekends. If you want it too. We won't be here all the time, consider it."  
"Of course I want to be here and if you're both at work, I can take the dogs out, do my homework, learn and help in the house. Plus we work in the forest on Saturdays together."  
"Remember the weekend is there to rest a little bit. Do you want to come over after school?"  
"Yes."  
"We have to take him shopping the next time we both work early or finish earlier, he needs clothes here." Sofia said. "Do you like clothes shopping?"  
"Not really."  
"What about internet shopping?" Sara smiled. "I hate clothes shopping too, we can order something online, you try it, keep it when you like it, otherwise we send it back."  
"Sounds much better."  
"In that case we get my laptop and order some clothes for you, this way you have them here next weekend. How many clothes do you have in the children's home?"  
"Three pair of jeans, four pullover, four long-sleeves, six t-shirts, underwear and socks for a week. That's what everybody has. Two pair of shoes."  
"We absolutely need to go shopping. Or surf shopping. Why don't you get us a cold drink and I get the laptop."  
"Don't we have to help Sofia with the food?"  
"No, she can handle the barbecue alone. Where are your grandparents?"  
"Mark needs some more fresh fruits and vegetables, Marie is…I don't know. Not with him. Greg and Jules are at Jules's parents, lunch time with the twins. Celebrating the baby news. And making up for some missed appointments together. When will you get everything for Jamie?"  
"Later, we have another six months. And maybe we can order most things online. Saves time."  
"Online? Not walking through the…okay, I forgot, it's you." Sofia grinned. "Go, get your laptop, I start the barbecue and then we can look if we find something nice for Stephen. Decoration and clothes. A big frame for the poster and the photos."  
"Isn't that too expensive?"  
"Honey, you're our son, you're worth every cent." Sofia said. "And we don't let you stay in an unfinished room. This is not the children's home, this is your home. We want that you have everything you need." And for that they could skip the holiday. When they decided to adopt Stephen, they were aware of the fact, it would cost some money. Children always cost money, but they were worth it.   
***  
Sofia held her belly. That was a lot of food and she felt like a balloon right now. Maybe it was too much food, but the steaks were good, the bread was fresh and the salad wasn't as bad as you expect salad to be. The only problem was, how was she supposed to make space for cake? They had a cake in the fridge, it looked great and she had to eat a slice or two. No matter what. It was Sara's birthday, cake was a birthday rule and the one she had after midnight didn't count for today. It had been dark, things you eat in the dark don't count, do they?   
"I burst."  
"Will you ever learn to stop before you feel sick?"  
"Yes, when you serve healthy food."  
"I'm talking about food you like."  
"Not likely." The blonde got on the lap of the brunette and kissed her. "It's practice for the later pregnancy, when I feel like this the whole time."  
"It's a sign of immature."  
"Love you too. Care to leave the house?"  
"We should, there are four rock stars waiting for us." Sara smiled. Her four kitten. The pet shelter was open today, why leave them in there longer than needed?   
"Exactly. We should get them home."  
"After we went shopping so we can feed them something tonight."  
"Honey." Sofia smiled widely. "I did that already. Do you really think I give you four kitten and don't make sure they have everything they need at home? There's cat food in the garage, also two cat litter boxes, two cat trees and a big wicker basket they can use as a lair to hide. We can put that on a table because otherwise I know two very nosy guys, who will look in there all the time and I don't think your four J's like that."  
"When they're traumatized and scared, they won't like dogs at all. It will take some time before they're used to Scooby and Rantanplan. Do you think the dogs are fine with them? Or will they be like four little bites?"  
"You know them, they'll be fine. Cute little baby kitten, who doesn't like them?"  
"The monsters who traumatized them? Human? Human are pretty good in destroying lives and make other creatures suffer."  
"Not all of them, some help the ones who suffer."  
"True, some are savior." Sara placed her head on Sofia's shoulder. The blonde had been her savior when she came to Los Angeles. From the police and from her own past.   
"Are you having one of your moments lost in thoughts?" Stephen asked when he joined them with the dogs.   
"No, or kind of." Sara smiled. "How do you feel about taking four kittens home?"  
"Sounds like a great thing to do. Is everything they need here or do we have to go shopping before?"  
"Sofia bought everything, all we have to do is get the kitten from the pet shelter."  
"Why don't you two do that, I take the dogs our for a walk, make them lose some energy and prepare everything for the kitten?"   
"You don't want to join us?"  
"A pet shelter is even sadder than a children's home, if I go there, I want to take them all with me, that's not possible, so it will break my heart." He sighed. "I'm better off when I take the dogs out and prepare everything. Where do you want them?"  
"Seeing them feels like being back in the children's home, unwanted and left alone." Sara said and pulled Stephen in her arms. "The way you felt when couples came to take children home and you were left behind."  
"Yeah…I'm the old ugly dog, nobody wants."  
"We want you."  
"Yeah, you've a soft spot for things people don't want. Me, four traumatized kitten. What was wrong with Scooby and Rantanplan that you took them?"  
"Nothing, they were funny, cheeky and full of energy, I liked that." Sofia said. "And the guy at the pet shelter said, they're cocktail dogs, everybody threw in a little bit, shook it and they are what came out of this mix. A cool mix in my eyes. You might not win a prize for being the most beautiful dogs, you're not a special breed but you're the greatest four-legged friends a woman can ask for." The blonde hugged her dogs. "Great protector, always happy when one of your family members comes home, thankful and always hungry. Like your mommy when she sees candy and chocolate. The perfect match to me."  
"We like the unusual."  
"That's why I love her." Sofia grinned. "She's very unusual and believe me, not all the time in a…I mean." The blonde corrected when the evil eyes of her lover hit her. "She's the best thing ever happened to me."  
"You better get all the papers you need so I can have my four kitten, Miss Curtis."  
"Yes, Miss Sidle…when we get married, will you take my name?"  
"At the moment I'm not sure if I want you, leave alone your name. Might be too usual for me."  
"See, that's why I love her, she has got fire." The blonde grinned, kissed her lover and went into the house.   
"How do you feel when you're in a pet shelter?" Stephen asked her.  
"Like I'm God and have to decide you lives in hell and who goes to heaven. I try to stay away from these places, try not to think about it too often, but then I think, it's better to save one life than none. We can't take them all home, but we can take four home and that's a good life for four kitten. Only a tiny piece but when you do a jigsaw puzzle, you start with one piece and work yourself through the other thousand or two thousand."  
"True. I rather stay here."  
"That's fine. Everything for the kitten is in the garage, put it on our level, we'll close the door so they stay up there, otherwise they might sneak out and are gone. Close the bedroom doors, leave the bathroom doors open. I guess we put a cat litter box in each bathroom, their trees in the main room. And make sure all windows are closed, they jump through them otherwise. Or get stuck. I saw a cat once, who tried to jump through a window, that was tilt and the cat got stuck in there. Not nice for the animal."  
"Okay, I prepare everything and tell the dogs to behave. Where're your…my grandparents?"  
"I don't know, shopping? Mark always needs a lot of different things for his meals."  
"He's a great chef."  
"He is, we're lucky he'll be around from next year on. Imagine having him cook dinner for us once a week. Or, what is very likely, he cooks for you every day when you come home."  
"Heaven in kitchen."   
"Absolutely. All right, I go and get our new housemates to here. See you later."  
"Make sure they're fine, I look forward to have them around."   
***  
Sara looked for the fifth time to the backseat. Four kitten were in the big box and they hadn't heard a single meow since they started. In fact, they hadn't heard any sound from the kitten the whole time. The man at the pet shelter, who gave them the kitten told them, most of the times the kitten stayed in their box, did barely leave it and were bad eater.   
"We should take them to the vet tomorrow. Something can't be right with them."   
"Honey, the man told us, they were like this the whole time and have been checked by vets a couple of times. When they found them, they had to see the vet frequently because they were in such a bad shape."  
"They're still skinny."  
"We feed them, when they eat, they can put on some weight."  
"When our dogs don't steal their food."  
"We made sure they won't."  
"And they won't hurt them."  
"Honey, you know our wolves, you know how they act around the twins."  
"Twins are human, the kitten are cats. I know cats and dogs can be great friends, but…I worry and I worry too much, I know."  
"You worry about your presents, I'm glad you like them so much."  
"Almost as much as I like you."  
"You like me? There was a time when you loved me."  
"Really? Must be a long time ago." The brunette grinned, bent over and kissed the cheek of her lover.   
"Less than twenty hours ago you asked me to marry you. Why did you do that when you don't love me?"  
"You're handy, have a nice house, we can save some money when the state recognizes our marriage and…okay, I stop before you stop and make me pay."  
"Right in front of our house, I could pull you over to me, eat you here, in front of the eyes of our family and friends. Want that?"  
"No, I prefer some more privacy. And space. I can reach your body with my lips much better when we're not in a car but in a big bed. Remember what my lips can do?"  
"How could I forget?"  
"Don't know…bad memory? Desperate need to refresh your mind?"  
"Oh yes! I'm in a desperate to get my mind refreshed. Refresh me, babe. Tonight."  
"Maybe." Sara smirked, opened the door and got out of the car.   
"Maybe? I make sure maybe will be a definitely. Got my weapons too." The blonde mumbled and followed her fiancé, who had the box with the kitten in her arms. All four tried to be as far as possible away from the entrance, cuddled up and searched for shelter at the other. It broke Sara's heart to see it, to know, somebody did some really bad things to these cute little creatures.   
Up on the level they found Stephen with the dogs, who were very interested in the box in Sara's arms.   
"No! You sit down. Now!" She ordered the dogs.   
"I closed all doors besides the bathroom doors, the cat litter boxes are prepared and Don gave me this old table, we can put their box on it and I placed the water and food bowl on it too. This way the dogs can't reach it." Stephen said.   
"Good thinking."  
"How are they?"  
"Scared. I think it's best we put the box on the table, open the door and let them come out when they're ready." She opened the door so it faced the wall. This way the kitten could get to the water and food without walking over the whole table. Pulling the dogs with them to the table, the three sat down and waited.   
"It can take some time until they come out." Sofia opened the fridge and poured them some orange juice.   
"Yes, I think so too. We can wait and leave them alone later when we have cake outside. I saw the sign you put on the door, Stephen, good idea." He had put up a sign, saying the kittens were upstairs and the door to the second level had to be closed the whole time.   
"Thanks. What if they jump on the handle?"  
"We lock the door, leave the keys in so everybody can come in and out without a problem."  
"Locked in? Worse than the prison." He smiled.  
"You have the keys, can leave whenever you want."  
"I don't want to leave."  
"We make sure you don't have to leave too many more times." Sofia hugged him.   
"I know."  
"You're our son, we don't like it when our family isn't together."  
"I don't like being apart from my family."   
"So we try to make the room over there you're only room."   
"Coolest room ever, there's a signed Lou Lee photo inside."  
"Right, I forgot Mister Boombastic." Sara rolled her eyes.   
"He gets you a special birthday present and I bet it's a cool one."  
"Like a date with a hot movie star?"  
"You don't want because you love only me." Sofia added.   
"Of course. Can't break our family up. Although, when you're highly pregnant I might think about it again…no I won't." Sara took Sofia's hand, looked at the ring. Her fiancé, her son, her family. She was such a lucky woman.


End file.
